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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22520710">Alive and Out of Jail</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonnyDLV/pseuds/SonnyDLV'>SonnyDLV</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Outsiders (1983), The Outsiders - All Media Types, The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Discipline, Family Fluff, Gen, Spanking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:09:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>171,422</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22520710</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonnyDLV/pseuds/SonnyDLV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>My take on how Darry keeps law and order within the gang.</p><p>Will contain spanking of teens by an older brother figure. I don't endorse or condone spanking (outside of consensual adult relationships) in real life, but I enjoy reading and writing about it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>571</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>392</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Don’t Mess With Darry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The differences in Darry Curtis and Tim Shepard's discipline styles boiled down to one thing--Where Tim used his fist to keep his boys in line, Darry used his palm. Well, sometimes his belt.  </p><p>Darry had been looking after Sodapop and Ponyboy since he was a kid himself, and had been raising them by himself ever since their parents died. And the rest of his gang he had all but adopted as his little brothers. And as the oldest brother tasked with minding six wayward younger brothers, he was used to laying down the law. </p><p>Although they were never said explicitly, Darry had a specific set of rules and consequences. His go-to by far was a swat or two followed by a firm telling off. If the culprit was within grabbing distance, Darry would just turn him around and pop him with his hand or whatever was in reach. If not, Darry would bark the miscreants name, snap, and point to the floor directly in front of him, making him walk over to Darry's reach. The boys never wanted to be called to task in the kitchen; that almost certainly meant being popped with the wooden spoon. Getting smacked was usually for day to day misdeeds: backtalk, minor disobedience, generally being a pain in Darry's ass. If you didn't listen when you were told to do something, or you were refusing to go to Darry to get swatted, then Darry would start to count to three. The boys almost always did what they were told by three. Two-Bit was the only one who had ever made it to three, and he swore that his ass was never the same again. </p><p>Backtalk after you were warned to stop, or bad language by Darry's standards usually lead to eating soap. He’d learned that trick from his mother after she heard him say “shit” when he was ten. Darry tolerated a lot more language than his parents did, maybe giving a glare and a smack upside the head if someone said something too vulgar, especially in public. But there were some words and phrases that Darry just didn't tolerate. Derogatory language, especially toward women, was not allowed. They weren't hoods after all.</p><p>If pushed, Darry could deliver one spectacular beat down. He would never punch his boys like other gang leaders. They weren't just a gang; they were a family. It was not uncommon to walk into the Curtis house and see Darry with his foot propped up on a chair, one of his brothers hanging over his leg and gripping his ankle. The term Darry often used for it was a 'conversation.' As in, “do that again and you and me are gonna have a <em>conversation</em>.” All of them had been on the receiving end of a conversation more than once. He tried to be fair, give warnings and swats before the real thing, but each and every one of them had a knack of going a little too far. Putting themselves in acute danger, disobeying a direct order, or getting arrested without a damn good reason (No, Steve, ‘the cop was being a dickhead so I keyed his car’ is NOT a good reason) could guarantee a whupping. </p><p>Ponyboy by far got in trouble the most often. Soda once said that Pony spent more time ass up over Darry's knee than he did right side up. The kid had a good head, but he never wanted to use it. Darry would lecture and holler at him over and over about the same things, but it seemed like the only way to get the message through to Pony's head was to beat it into his backside. Plus, his smart mouth was always getting him into trouble, so he ended up eating soap more than anyone else. Pony had complained before that Darry’s standards were higher for him than anyone else, and that was probably true. They all knew that Pony was smart and he was expected to do his best in school. And, as the youngest, Darry hovered and fussed at him about safety, knowing he was an easy target for the Socs. </p><p>Johnny, on the other hand, found himself less in need of a conversation than anyone else in the gang. His desire for approval usually made him toe the line. A strong word or look from any of the older boys was usually enough. Usually. It broke Darry's heart the times he had to spank him, knowing what he went through at home, but someone had to put a stop to his more self destructive tendencies. He always talked to Johnny about it a good long time first, assuring the kid that he wasn't angry, before taking him into his bedroom, putting him over his knee and spanking the kid with only his hand, or on rare occasions, a wooden spoon. Darry wanted to make sure that if he had to discipline Johnny, it would be as different from Johnny's dad's senseless beatings as possible.  </p><p>Sodapop, more than anyone else, could talk Darry out of a licking. Flashing his crooked grin and batting his eyelashes a few times could get him out of most minor trouble. But when it came to serious trouble, like the time that Soda came home drunk and puked on Darry's shoes, there was no talking Darry out of it. Soda secretly thought that Darry whipped him extra hard to make up for the times he'd weaseled his way out of it. Soda and Steve had a knack for egging each other on and getting each other to do stupid things. Whether it be fighting or drag racing, the two bent over side by side for a whupping more than they did alone. </p><p>Other than the times he and Soda got in trouble together, Steve mostly caught it for one reason: teasing Pony. Most of the time, Darry let Steve get on Pony. He tended to think that Sodapop coddled Pony and that the kid could use some toughening up. But sometimes Steve crossed the line, got Pony too worked up. Darry's rule was simple. If Steve got Pony so riled up that Pony got himself punished, then Steve was getting punished as well. This seemed to work well. Steve took notice of Pony's response to his teasing and was usually able to pull himself back in. Still, it wasn't uncommon to see both of them in opposite corners until Pony could calm down.  Pony didn't quite get it, but Darry knew that taunting was the only way Steve really knew how to show affection. </p><p>Two-Bit, even though he was only three years younger and the second oldest, rivaled Ponyboy in bringing Darry's displeasure for not using his head. While Darry took everything seriously, Two-Bit took nothing seriously. Darry was always after him for hair-brained stunts and cracking one too many jokes. More than anyone else, Two-Bit hated to be still and quiet, so Darry used that to his advantage. Once, after he had to bail Two-Bit out of jail for public urination, Darry whipped him and then made him sit on a hard chair and write "I will not piss on the street in front of a cop" 100 times.  To his credit, Two-Bit did NOT make that mistake twice. </p><p>Dally was the most challenging to reign in. Having known the rest of them since grade school, Darry had no problem tossing them over his knee and tanning their behinds. They might complain and argue, but in the end they all trusted Darry not to punish them unfairly. Dally was different. Darry was sure that Dallas would break his nose if he ever swatted him or counted at him like he would do with the other boys. No, as much as it killed him, Dally had to let Dallas pay for his own mistakes most of the time. If Sodapop had slashed Tim Shepard's tires, Darry would've interceded, told Tim it was handled, and that Soda would pay him back. Then, he would whale the tar out of the kid. But he couldn't do that with Dally.  And sometimes that meant that Dally would get his ribs broken by Tim Shepard. But even Dally knew that there were certain things that Darry wouldn't let go unpunished. Of course, if Dally didn't want to accept it, he, just like the rest of them, was free to leave and stay away from the Curtis house. Darry wouldn't confront or holler at Dallas like he would any others. If he knew he was in trouble with Darry, Dallas would storm off, brood for a while, and when he was ready to come back, he would.  And he wouldn't fight when Darry would take him by the upper arm and lead him out to the garage. Darry wouldn't lecture, knowing that Dally had to feel pretty guilty already to let Darry whip him. Darry would whip him hard and fast and then they would never speak of it again. </p><p>Darry himself wasn't immune to discipline.  It was few and far between that Darry screwed up badly enough to need his own <em>conversation</em>, but when he did, Soda reluctantly took up the mantle as disciplinarian. It made sense; Soda was pretty much his second in command. The first time it happened, when Darry let his temper get to him, Darry had to practically beg Soda to whip him. He made Soda use their Dad's old strap, something he'd never used on one of his boys. But the way he saw it, Darry hadn't just let himself down, he had let the whole gang down, and needed to be punished severely, if only to assuage his own guilt.  Soda was surprisingly good at it, whipping Darry's boxer covered ass hard until he noticed that Darry was biting down on his lip deep enough to draw blood. It always killed him to have to hear the boy's hollers, and Darry had hoped he could spare Sodapop that at least. It didn't last long. When Soda found out, he threatened to bring all the boys out there, saying that If Darry wanted to act tough, he could act tough in front of all of them. From then on, Darry could holler with the best of them. </p><p>Those few isolated occasions weren't the only time that someone other than Darry stepped in to do the disciplining, although Darry was always the final authority. Sodapop had swatted Pony more times than either of them could count and even pulled him over his knee a few times. Soda did tend to give non-spanking punishments if he could, several times making Johnny and Pony write lines or stand in the corner. Hell, he even stuck Steve in the corner a few times per Darry's if-Pony-gets-in-trouble-so-does-Steve rule. Two-Bit, even though he hated it, had also taken the younger boys to task a few times. Once, he even dragged a drunk Soda and Steve into the house by the ear, depositing them at the feet of a very pissed off Darry. </p><p>Since Darry did most, but not all, of the disciplining, he also did most of the comforting. Sure, the rest of the gang would coddle the younger boys when they got punished, but Darry always got his hugs in first. He felt it was important to make sure his boys knew they were loved and forgiven, even after something as simple as standing in the corner. Ponyboy and Johnny, and even Sodapop if no one else was around, would end up right in Darry's lap crying into his shoulder after a licking. Steve and Two-Bit would accept a hug, and while trying to act tough, would secretly melt into their big brother's arms. Dally was again the most difficult. As much as he wanted to really comfort the young man, Darry had to settle for giving his shoulder warm squeeze and lightly rubbing his back while Dallas composed himself. Dallas Winston would not accept a hug from Darry, even if he had let Darry whup him just two minutes before. But Darry was always happy to see that Johnny would run up and squeeze his idol tight around the middle, the only one who could do that without getting knocked flat on their back. </p><p>Darry knew he wasn’t the perfect parent, but since Darrel Sr. had died, Darry was the closest thing to a good father any of them had. Other than Two-Bit, none of them had parents that were living or that gave a damn. Two-Bit’s mother loved him, but he was a bit too wild for her to reign in on her own, with all the hours she worked just to keep a roof over their heads. She had taken Darry aside after she’d seen her son walking stiffly a few times, to thank him for doing what he could to keep her son alive and out of jail. At the end of the day, that’s all Darry really wanted for all his boys. They were a ragtag, smart mouthed group of greasers but they were <em>his</em> ragtag smart mouthed group of greasers.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Operation Free Sodapop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sodapop was bored. Really, really bored. He absolutely hated being stuck in his room, which is probably exactly why Darry stuck him in his room. Darry didn’t take kindly to backtalk when you were already being punished. Soda should’ve known that telling Darry to loosen up while over his knee probably wasn’t a good idea. Well, to be fair, what Soda actually said was “maybe if you got laid once in a while, that’d loosen you up a bit, and you’d wanna stay out late too.” The comment about Darry’s sex life was probably what pushed him over the edge. To be really fair, Sodapop had already made several unwise comments that night, each getting Darry a little closer to that edge.   </p><p>“Alright, little buddy, now you’re spending tomorrow in your room,” Darry had said, adding a few pops to Soda’s legs for good measure. So now, Soda was grounded to his and Pony’s room for the day with a sore butt to boot. Darry used this punishment most often for Pony and Soda, easier for the ones that lived under his roof, but he wasn’t afraid to use it on anyone. Both Two-Bit and Steve had, on separate occasions, been grounded to Darry’s room for the day, although both times Soda snuck in with candy and comic books to help pass the time. Sometimes Soda was Darry’s lieutenant, backing him up, especially with Pony, but other times, he couldn’t resist trying to help out his friends.</p><p>Soda couldn’t stand the boredom. He had taken to throwing a ball against the wall for entertainment, which he wasn’t supposed to do. Darry’s rules for being sent to your room were simple: Read a book, sleep, or think. That was it. That was all you could do. Soda hated to read anything other than Mad Magazine, which was not allowed. If you complained you were bored, Darry would assign you an essay about whatever it was that got you there in the first place. If he was really pissed, he’d make you sit to write it. Yes, Darry was one evil bastard.</p><p>Along with every other thing he should have thought about that day, Soda probably should have realized that Darry would hear the sound of the ball thumping against the wall, especially considering that his wall was shared with the living room.</p><p>“Ball,” Darry said simply, holding his hand out for Soda’s one remaining toy. Soda handed it over, hoping that all Darry would do was take the ball, but that was too good to be true. He was already laying on his front, sore butt and all, so Darry simply leaned over the bed and smacked Soda’s briefs-covered ass three times with his big paw of a hand.</p><p>“Next time I have to come in here, I’ll bare your butt,” Darry promised, eyeing Soda sternly.</p><p>“Yes sir,” Soda said hastily, knowing that Darry didn’t make idle threats and even over his underwear, those swats had stung.  To be fair, Darry wasn’t entirely unjustified with being frustrated with Sodapop. Soda had not been the easiest to deal with that day. First, Darry had caught him in the kitchen when Soda had come down to get a snack. Sure, he could’ve yelled for Darry and Darry would’ve brought it for him, but what was the fun in that?  When Darry caught him, he had dragged him back by the ear, informing him that he would get lunch in a few hours and he could survive till then. Not an hour later, Darry had to drag Ponyboy out of the room after he snuck in to chat with Soda. Pony had protested that he only came to get his notebook, but Darry informed him that it didn’t take 15 minutes to get a notebook.</p><p>“Read a book,” Darry said, handing him one of Pony’s books, and Soda had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.  Once Darry left the room, Soda couldn’t help but let out a dramatic sigh. This was gonna be a long day.</p><p>For the next hour, Soda alternated between <em>quietly</em> acting out scenes from his favorite TV shows and trying to remember the second verse of Elvis’ “Jailhouse Rock.” He thought he was finally starting to pass the time when he heard Steve yell out “Soda, Darry just left. Break out while you can.”</p><p>Soda didn’t need to be told twice. He ran into the living room, content to just be anywhere besides his room and have anyone’s company other than his own. It was Sunday, so the DX was closed, and all the boys had off, other than Dally who was working at Buck’s, and were all hanging around the Curtis house. Darry had gone out to do the grocery shopping, complaining that they were eating him out of house and home, so Soda should have had about an hour to be out of his room.</p><p>“There’s the inmate!” Two-Bit teased. Soda, desperate to let out some pent out energy, leaped on his back and tackled him. Soon, all five of them were piled on top of Two-Bit, who was tapping the floor and crying uncle. Unfortunately for Soda, this kept their attention away from Darry who had come back for his forgotten wallet.</p><p>Darry cleared his throat, looking down at his pile of brothers. Soda gulped, not liking what was gonna come next. The pile quickly disbanded, leaving all five of them sitting on the floor and looking up at Darry wide eyed.</p><p>“C’mere, Sodapop Patrick,” Darry said crooking a finger. Soda reluctantly rose to meet Darry who immediately spun him toward the hall and popped him with the wooden spoon that he somehow already had in hand. Soda hurried toward his room, but Darry was right behind him, smacking him all the way. He knew he should be embarrassed at having his ass handed to him in front of his brothers, but honestly, it wasn’t a rare occurrence in the Curtis house. They’d all seen him get whupped and he’d seen them get whupped. He considered himself lucky that Darry didn’t bend him over and yank his boxers down right in the living room. That didn’t save him from getting pulled over Darry’s knee and his boxers pulled down for five hard smacks with the spoon once they made it to his room.  Soda couldn’t help but yelp at the last one. When he was through, Darry pulled Soda up and none too gently plopped him down to take a seat on the bed. Soda could feel tears stinging at his eyes. Normally, the five good whacks Darry got in in the hall and the additional five over his knee wouldn’t be enough to make Soda cry, but his butt was still a little tender from the night before.  </p><p>“I don’t like having to come down this hard on you, but you gotta learn to mind me,” Darry said, looking down at Soda.</p><p>“Yes, Dar,” Soda replied glumly, “I’m just so bored!”</p><p>“That’s the point, little buddy,” Darry replied.</p><p>“Can I at least come out for lunch?” Soda tried, flashing his best puppy dog eyes.</p><p>“After what you just pulled? You’re lucky I didn’t add another day,” Darry said, “I don’t know why you keep trying to break your grounding, I always catch you.”</p><p>“Oh yes, the wise and powerful Darry always one step ahead of me.”</p><p>“Do you need another round with the spoon?” Darry asked, gesturing with the hated thing.</p><p>“Nope, you made your point loud and clear,” Soda hurried to say, “No matter what I do, you’ll always catch me.”</p><p>“That’s right,” Darry said with a smirk, putting the spoon in his back pocket, “I think I’ll keep this with me. Might come in handy with you and your partners in crime.”</p><p>Darry ruffled his hair on the way out before closing the door and Soda flopped down face first on the bed. His butt stung, but it had been worth it to break free for just a few minutes. Not that he was ready to sneak out again. No, maybe he’d try when his ass stopped throbbing. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Darry had said, that he’d always catch him. That was practically daring him to try another escape attempt.</p><p>It wasn’t actually an escape attempt that Soda tried next--more of a kidnapping. Darry sent Johnny in with Soda’s lunch, probably thinking that Johnny was least likely to screw around with Soda. Lucky for Soda, Johnny was also the most likely to be guilted into sticking around for a while.</p><p>“How you doing in here all by yourself?” Johnny asked. If anyone else asked that question, it would’ve been a barb at Soda, rubbing some salt in his wounds. Not with Johnny, though. Johnny only had concern and empathy and Soda knew it.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Soda replied giving the kid his signature smile, “Wanna stick around for a bit?”</p><p>“Aw man, wish I could, but Darry told me to come right back.”</p><p>“But Johnny,” Soda whined, “It’s no fun eating alone. And it’s probably dangerous too. I could choke eating here all alone and no one would know.”</p><p>“Never thought of it like that,” Johnny said, hesitantly. Soda flashed his best pout, knowing Johnny would cave soon.</p><p>“Alright, fine, but eat fast,” Johnny said, “I don’t want Darry to come and skin both of us.” Soda had to snort at that. Darry wouldn’t skin Johnny over this. Darry could be heavy handed at times, but never with Johnny. He didn’t need to be. Johnny listened and obeyed, unlike the rest of them.</p><p>“Thanks, Johnnycake!” Soda said, grinning widely before taking a bite of his sandwich, “So, fill me in, what’s it like in the outside world?”</p><p>“Well, not much has been happening. Darry’s been cleaning, me and Pony just been playing cards, and Steve and Two-Bit are out working on Steve’s car.”</p><p>“I’m sure Two-Bit is no help.”</p><p>“Probably not,” Johnny laughed, “He threatened to pour Pepsi into Steve’s gas tank earlier if he wouldn’t stop changing the channel.”</p><p>“Aw man, I could go for a Pepsi. You think you could sneak one in later when Darry’s not watching?”</p><p>“Darry’s always watching,” Darry said, entering the room, and Soda winced. That was not good. “Johnny, get outta here. I gotta talk to Pepsi Cola for a minute.”</p><p>“Yessir,” Johnny said nervously, chewing his bottom lip and looking at Darry apprehensively.</p><p>“You’re not in trouble, kiddo. Go on and find Pony,” Darry said, ruffling Johnny’s hair before sending him away with a playful swat.  He smiled affectionately for a moment before turning around to Sodapop. Soda thought he could just melt into the floor at that moment.  </p><p>“Alright, Darry, let’s be reasonable,” Soda placated, knowing Darry was about ready to pounce, “No need to bring out the spoon again.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m not,” Darry said, giving Soda a devious grin that made Soda nervous.</p><p>“You’re not?” Soda asked suspiciously.</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>“Okay, well I’ll just go back to sitting quietly, thinking about my behavior and how I’m gonna do better in the future,” Soda tried.</p><p>“That’s fine,” Darry said, grabbing one of Pony’s books from the shelf, “But since you wanted company so bad, I thought I’d sit with you for a while. Make sure you don’t get yourself into any more trouble.”</p><p>“Okayyy,” Soda replied, eying Darry warily. He sat down at the desk where Johnny had put his plate down and went back to eat. Darry sat himself down on the bed and started to thumb through the book.</p><p>“So, you gonna talk to me or...?” Soda asked, trailing off.</p><p>“Nope, no talking. Rules are still the same. Read, think, or sleep. I’m just here to make sure they’re followed.”</p><p> ‘Ah, so that’s what Darry’s playing at,’ Soda thought, ‘Gonna make sure I behave. Well, jokes on him, I’m gonna be a model citizen.’ Soda ate the rest of his lunch slowly, playing with it as much as he dared in order to pass some of the time. When he was done, he picked up a book for himself and started to read, glancing up at Darry from time to time to see if he looked like he had any intention of leaving. Sitting next to Darry in the living room companionable silence was one thing but sitting here while he was being punished was terrible. He couldn’t get up and jump around or do anything else that Darry wouldn’t like. No, he just had to sit and be still and try to force himself to read.</p><p>Thirty minutes of Sodapop pretending to read while actually watching Darry for any sudden movements later, Darry shut his book and stood up.</p><p>“I’m headed to the store,” Darry said, “You gonna stay in your room this time?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Soda said, relieved that Darry was finally gonna leave and he could get up and bounce around a bit. Sitting still was not in his nature.</p><p>“Go take a leak if you have to because I’m taping your door,” Darry instructed. Soda rolled his eyes. That was one of Darry’s tricks. He’d put a piece of masking tape on the door so that it would rip if the door was opened. Not that the boys hadn’t tried to peel it off carefully and put it back on—they had. They’d just never been successful.</p><p>Soda took the opportunity to leave the room while he could, lingering a while to listen to the TV from the other room. Once he felt like he couldn’t stall any longer, he headed back to his room where Darry was leaning against the door frame, twirling the roll of masking tape around his finger.</p><p>“Got nowhere else to be?” Soda couldn’t help but quip, walking past Darry into his room.</p><p>“Thought you’d have learned to watch that little mouth of yours,” Darry said, but with a wry grin so Sodapop knew he wasn’t really mad.</p><p>“If I promise to watch my mouth, can I come out?” Soda answered with a shit eating grin. </p><p>“Sure,” Darry replied.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah, you can come out.  <em>Tomorrow</em>.” Darry said, closing the door before Soda could respond. Soda could hear the rip of the masking tape and the sound of Darry sticking it on his door. Well, back to acting out fight scenes from TV. At least Darry wasn’t sitting there watching him anymore and he could move around.</p><p>A few minutes later, as Soda was unsuccessfully trying to balance a book on his head while standing on one foot, he heard a tap on his window. Looking over, he saw Two-Bit and Steve standing outside of his window holding up a plate of chocolate cake and a couple of comic books.</p><p>“Muscles didn’t think to tape the window,” Steve laughed. Soda opened the window and beamed. Damn, did he have good friends. Too bad he had to turn them away.</p><p>“Thanks, guys, but you better scram,” Soda said ruefully, “I don’t need another run in with big brother. We call him muscles for a reason, ya know.”</p><p>“Aw c’mon,” Two-Bit whined, “We miss that Sodapop charm.  Just eat your cake and we’ll be on our way. Darry for sure won’t be back for a while.” </p><p>“Alright, fine,” Soda said, taking the comic books and sticking them underneath his mattress before digging into the chocolate cake. The trio chatted for a while about everything from the new girl Two-Bit had met the night before to the most recent problems with Steve’s car. They ended up so deeply in an argument over whether or not Steve was strong enough to fight a coyote that none of them noticed when Muscles himself showed up.  Darry didn’t bother announcing himself, and Soda only noticed a split second before the spoon came down hard and lightning fast on Two-Bit’s butt.</p><p>“Holy shit,” Two-Bit yelled, instinctively grabbing his ass. Soda winced when Darry batted Two-Bit's hands aside and brought the spoon down twice more. Apparently, done with Two-Bit, Darry let him go and reached for Steve, who danced out of his reach.</p><p>“Come back here, Randle,” Darry barked, but with no real heat behind it. Soda could tell from Darry’s tone of voice whether he was really upset or just annoyed. If he was truly upset, he’d be calling him “Steven Thomas” instead of “Randle.” Or, even worse, “young man.” Steve and Sodapop were only four years younger than Darry, Two-Bit only three years, but somehow Darry could still pull off “young man.”</p><p>Steve tried to slink away backward, but Darry was quicker, grabbing him by the arm, spinning him, and popping him four times, presumably one extra for trying to get away.</p><p>“Both of you, inside,” Darry said, pointing toward the door. Sodapop was bummed to lose the company of his friends but was also not looking forward to Darry coming in and dealing with him.  To his surprise, Darry didn’t come in right away. Soda couldn’t make out what they were saying, but he could hear talking coming from the living room. To his surprise, the talking stopped, and he heard the muffled sound of what he assumed were more smacks of the spoon. Six pops, a pause, and then six more. Usually, an unidentified smack would usually be assumed to be Darry whacking Pony, but Soda assumed that this had to do with the two idiots he called friends.</p><p>“I see the tape’s still intact,” Darry said, walking straight in without knocking.</p><p>“Yessir.”</p><p>“Didn’t realize I had to tape your window too.”</p><p>“You don’t. It won’t happen again.”</p><p>“Be sure it doesn’t,” Darry said, studying Soda for a moment, “Consider yourself lucky, kid. Steve and Two-Bit took your licks for you.”</p><p>“What?!” Soda asked, instantly feeling guilty.</p><p>“I was planning on coming up here a whupping you good for breaking your grounding<em> again,”</em> Darry said, leveling a stern look at Sodapop, “But those two knuckleheads pleaded your case. Told me that you did tell them to go away, but that they wouldn’t stop pestering you, so I gave them some extra smacks for that. They’ll survive.”</p><p>“Wow, they sure are idiots. I wouldn’t dare try to get in your way when you’re on the path to skinning someone,” Sodapop said, but he was touched that his friends stood up for him. And, if he was being honest, he was pretty damn relieved that he wasn’t gonna get a full-on beat down from Darry.</p><p>“Please, you practically leaped on my back last week when I was gonna spank Pony for walking home alone again,” Darry said, “Now, hand it over.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“I’m not stupid, no matter what Steve may think. I know they snuck something into you. And whatever it is, it’s mine now.”</p><p>“Just some comic books,” Soda said, pulling them out from under the mattress and handing them over to Darry.</p><p>“Alright,” Darry said, “I already told the boys this, but try to sneak out again and I’m whupping you and whoever helps you.”</p><p>“Technically, I didn’t try to sneak out this time. I was never gonna actually leave the room.”</p><p>Darry just raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. His very large arms.</p><p>“Fine, yes, I’ll stay put.”</p><p>“And if you don’t?”</p><p>“You’ll whup me,” Soda said, squirming at having to say it.</p><p>“That’s right. And you know I’ll find out.” Ugh, why did Darry have to go and say that again. It was like he was egging him on to try and sneak out.</p><p>“Yes, Superman,” Soda responded.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll bring you some dinner in a few hours.”  Soda nodded and resolved that this time he was gonna stay put.  He wasn’t gonna try to sneak out. He really really wasn’t.</p><p>Until he saw the note that was slipped under his door.</p><p>“Put some pants on. Operation Free Sodapop in 5 minutes -Steve”</p><p>Soda practically jumped for joy. Part of him knew that sneaking out was a <em>very</em> bad idea, but another part, the larger part, didn’t care. Soda hurriedly put on jeans and a clean t-shirt before waiting for whatever “Operation Free Sodapop” was.</p><p>“Darry, can you help me with my homework?” Soda heard Ponyboy ask loudly from the kitchen. He figured that Pony must be on Darry distraction duty.</p><p>Right on cue, Two-Bit and Johnny appeared at the window.</p><p>“Put some pillows under the covers to look like you’re asleep and c’mon. We can tape the window again once you’re out. Johnnycake here stole the tape,” Two-Bit said, holding it up and beaming at the kid with pride. “We’ll make a real greaser out of him yet.”</p><p>“Alright, Johnny!” Soda winked at the kid and ran to do as Two-Bit advised. He got one leg out the window before the door swung open</p><p>“The hell are y'all doing? All of you, get back in here,” Darry yelled and Soda practically fell back inside, “Two-Bit, I can see you, get in here.”</p><p>Johnny was already climbing in behind Sodapop, but Two-Bit was standing still between the two windows hoping to go unnoticed. In any other circumstances, it would have been hilarious to see the kid try to hide in a place he could so obviously be seen, but Soda knew that it would only serve to further piss Darry off.</p><p>“And I suppose you were supposed to keep me busy?” Darry asked, turning toward Pony with his hands on his hips.</p><p>“Yessir,” Pony responded.                                             </p><p>“We’re missing one,” Darry said doing a headcount, “There’s no way Steve isn’t involved in this little stunt.</p><p>“He’s driving the getaway car,” answered Pony. Soda had to suppress a snort. Leave it to Pony to be sure Steve went down with the rest of them.</p><p>“Stay here,” Darry said, turning and walking out of the room. Just seconds later, he came back with Steve in tow, a firm grasp on his ear.</p><p>“All y'all, sit down. NOW.” Darry ordered, pointing toward the bed. No one was dumb enough to disobey Darry on that.</p><p>Soda knew Darry was stuck. He had threatened to whup the next person who helped Soda, but he couldn’t have anticipated that four of them would be involved in this escape attempt. Plus, Johnny made things a little more complicated.  If not for Johnny, Sodapop guessed he would’ve just bent them all over and given them a few licks with his belt, but Darry confided to Soda that he planned to never use his belt on Johnny. Soda wholeheartedly agreed for Johnny’s sake, but couldn’t help but be glad that this time it would probably get them all out of a belt licking. Plus, he was pretty sure Darry wasn’t gonna try to take them all over his knee one by one.</p><p>“Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do,” Darry began, “You all deserve a whupping for trying to break Sodapop out, but I don’t want to throw out my shoulder licking all five of you. I’m probably gonna regret this after all the hassle Sodapop has given me today, but you’re all grounded till dinner. Ponyboy, go to my room. Steve, you’re in the kitchen. Johnny, living room. Two-Bit, you go sit on the porch and I better not catch you wandering around out there. Just sit there quietly. Step a toe out of line and I will whup you. Ya dig?”</p><p>Two “yessirs” from Pony and Johnny, a “yeah, Dar” from Steve, and one “Aye Aye, Cap’n,” from Two-Bit. Darry obviously didn’t appreciate the last one, as it was followed by Darry pulling Two-Bit up and popping him once again with the spoon.</p><p>“Just for that,” Darry responded, “You can spend the time sitting in the corner in the kitchen.” Damn, Darry was not playing around. Soda figured that would not bode well for his ass.</p><p>“Yessir,” Two-Bit said, rubbing his butt. Soda was surprised to hear that. Two-Bit almost never called Darry “sir.”</p><p>“Alright, get a move on,” Darry ordered.  All four of them filed out of the room, hopefully, for their sake and Darry’s, to the right place. Pony sent Sodapop a look before he left that Soda clearly knew meant that Pony was ready to throw down with Darry over this. Pony was always ready to throw down with Darry. Soda gave him a small smile and cocked his head toward the door, indicating that Pony should do as he was told. </p><p>“Jesus, Sodapop,” Darry said, once they were all gone, “Are you trying to make me lose my damn mind?”</p><p>“No, sir.”</p><p>“Seems like you’re out to make sure I’m being punished just as much as you are.”</p><p>“I’m not! I’m just bored.”</p><p>“I know you are, little buddy,” Darry said, softening his tone a bit, “And I know the boys have been egging you on to try to break the rules, but you know better. You’re not supposed to fool around when you’re already being punished. That’s what got you here in the first place and that’s what’s gonna get your butt warmed in a minute.”</p><p>“I know,” Soda sighed.</p><p>“I don’t like whupping y’all for every little thing, but it makes it hard to give other types of punishments if y’all don’t listen when I do.”</p><p>“Yes, Dar,” Soda replied, knowing that Darry was full into lecture mode now.</p><p>“And if you don’t listen to me when you’re grounded, how am I supposed to get the rest of them to listen to me? Everyone knows you’re my number two. Especially with the little guys,” Soda couldn’t help but smile a little at that. While Two-Bit and Steve were both older than him, Soda was less reckless. And he was the most level-headed Curtis by far. His role was mostly the peacemaker, but it was clear that the role of disciplining their youngest members when Darry wasn’t around fell to him.</p><p>“I know,” Soda replied, “I won’t do it again.”</p><p>“You’ve been saying that all day, but it doesn’t seem to stick.”</p><p>“It does!”</p><p>“Seems like the only way to get through to you is to light your butt on fire,” Darry replied. “Believe it or not, I don’t actually enjoy paddling you. I wish I could give you a lecture and send you to bed, but none of y’all seem to listen. With the Socs and the cops and pretty much everyone against us greasers, it can be life or death whether or not you mind me. You get that?”</p><p>“C’mon, Dar,” Soda complained, “Me not staying in my room isn’t gonna get me killed.”</p><p>“Maybe not,” Darry acquiesced, “But I need you to mind me on the small stuff, so I know you’ll listen for the big stuff. I’m not gonna have y’all running wild and turning into hoods either. Now, let’s get this over with.”</p><p>“Can’t we make some kinda deal?” Soda tried, giving Darry his signature grin and batting his eyelashes a few times, “What if I promise to do all my chores without complaining for the next year?”</p><p>“Nice try,” Darry laughed, sitting down on the bed next to Soda.  “But you’re supposed to do that anyway.”</p><p>“Breakfast in bed every day you’re not working?”</p><p>“Tempting, but no.”</p><p>“How about—”</p><p>“Alright, Soda, enough,” Darry cut in, clearly losing his patience, “It’s time to get a move on.”</p><p>Soda briefly weighed his option. He could do as he was told and get his butt whupped or he could continue stalling. He’d seen Pony try that and it always poorly. Last time Pony tried to test Darry, the kid had ended up over Darry’s knee right in the living room in seconds flat. Yeah, the choice was clear, but that didn’t mean Soda had to like it. He reluctantly stood up and looked at Darry for direction. Darry didn’t say anything but gestured for Soda to take his pants down. Soda figured since he was stuck in his room anyway, he might as well ditch the jeans.</p><p>“Can’t y’all ever put anything away properly?” Darry griped when he saw Soda chuck his jeans toward the corner, but Soda knew he wasn’t really mad.</p><p>“Can’t you ever let me off with a warning?” Sodapop shot back.</p><p>“Can’t you ever stop misbehaving?” Darry said, “And I did give you plenty of warnings. You just didn’t use that head of yours to listen to them. And now you get to go over my knee. C’mon.”</p><p>Soda did what he was told and laid himself over Darry’s lap with his torso resting on the bed. He didn’t have to wait long before he felt his boxers pulled down to mid thigh.  Usually, Soda would argue about having his boxers pulled down, but he hoped that in this case his butt would still be red from the spanking the night before and the swats he had gotten that day so Darry would take pity on him. It was probably wishful thinking, but it was all he had. Soda didn’t have to stew on his thoughts long before Darry’s hand came down on the left side of his butt. Soda knew that Darry wasn’t using his full strength, but damn did it still hurt.  </p><p>“All you’ve succeeded in doing today is giving my right arm a workout,” Darry lectured while steadily bringing his hand down again and again, “I know you were bored, but really, did you think you were gonna get away with any of this shit?”</p><p>Soda didn’t like the scolding but had to admit that Darry was right. He hadn’t really thought through what was gonna happen each time he made a break for it. He had just acted on impulse.</p><p>“I gave you half a dozen warnings today,” Darry continued, “That’s a hell of a lot more than I should have, but I tried to be lenient.”</p><p>“Yes sir,” Soda replied, starting to kick lightly at the rug to try to distract himself from the rising heat on his ass. Damn, it had been a while since he had a spanking on an already sore butt, and he did not like it.</p><p>“Believe me when I say, I hate having to wear you out,” Darry said. Soda knew that was true, but he had a hard time believing that Darry hated it anywhere near as much as Soda hated actually getting worn out. Case in point, Darry kept smacking Soda’s backside, bringing his hand a little lower towards Soda’s thighs.</p><p>Soda thought he would’ve even preferred some quick smacks with Darry’s belt. Yeah, it might hurt more, but then it would be over and done with. When Darry took someone over his knee, he was thorough. Like with anything, Darry made sure this job was done right.</p><p>“You gonna keep acting up while you’re already being punished?”</p><p>“No sir,” Soda sniffled. He usually wouldn’t cry at this many smacks, but on an already sore ass, Soda found himself feeling very sorry for himself. Darry must have heard the sniffles and taken pity on him because he stopped smacking and rubbed Sodapop’s back for a moment.</p><p>“Alright, little buddy, I’m done lecturing. I’m gonna give you some with the spoon to help you remember this and then we’ll be done.” Soda braced himself as he felt Darry raise his knee so that the lower part of Soda’s ass was more accessible. He knew that Darry was going pretty easy on him so far, but this next part was gonna suck. Soda clenched the bedsheets in front of him as Darry rapid fire smacked him right where he sat down. Soda, in turn, let out a stream of teary ows the whole time.  Luckily, Darry was fast about it, only going for less than a minute before stopping and rubbing Soda’s back.</p><p>“Okay, kid, it’s over,” Darry murmured softly, pulling Soda’s boxers up, “Come up when you’re ready.”</p><p>Soda was never one to refuse comfort. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and pushed himself of Darry’s knee before helping himself to a seat on Darry’s lap. He knew Darry wouldn’t leave him alone until he knew Soda had fully calmed down, and Soda was content to just lie with head on his big brother’s chest for the moment. It was a little awkward now that Soda was 16 and lanky, but Darry was still taller than him and they made it work.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Dar, I won’t try to sneak out no more,” Soda mumbled into Darry’s chest. Soda figured he must look exactly like Pony when he is (ever so often) curled up in Darry’s lap in the armchair in the living room. Ponyboy got himself into trouble a fair bit and he always milked the comfort that came after. Soda, Darry, and even Two-Bit would fuss over him, and Steve wouldn’t even tease him for a while. The few times Darry had spanked Johnny, they all coddled him beyond belief. They crushed the sensitive boy with hugs until Darry had to tell them to lay off and give him some space. Even then, Dally still hovered over him and made sure he was okay. Soda was glad to be able to soak up some of that comfort for himself. He wasn’t crying that much; he had cried more the night before, but even if he was, Darry wouldn’t judge him for being a bawl-baby.</p><p>Soda felt like he could just about fall asleep when he felt Darry jostle him gently and ask, “You alright there, little brother?”</p><p>Soda nodded but made no move to get up, knowing that when he did, he would have to go back to being grounded.</p><p>“Don’t fall asleep on me here,” Darry said, jostling him a little more, “It’s time to get up. If you wanna sleep you can, but you’re still grounded.”</p><p>“Can’t we just say lesson learned and move on?” Soda asked, climbing off Darry’s lap before flashing a smile at him.</p><p>“Nice try, but no.” Darry replied, standing up, “You know, when Mom and Dad used to send me to my room, I used to make up stories in my head. Might help pass the time.”</p><p>“Thanks, Dar,” Soda said, flopping down on the bed face first and looking up at Darry. That was new for Darry. Usually, he <em>strongly </em>suggested they use the time to think about whatever rule they broke, not that any of them did.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll be back with dinner,” Darry said, “Behave until then, would ya?”</p><p>“Sir yes sir,” Soda said, with a fake salute. Darry flicked Soda’s sore butt lightly in response and smirked at him before leaving Soda once again alone in his room.</p><p>Based on the fact that Sodapop heard no yelling, no scolding, and no smacking, everyone must have behaved for the next hour or so until dinner. Around 6, Darry came in with a plate for Soda. He knew that Darry was impressed with him behaving because he gave him a smile and ruffled his hair before he left. Tired out from the ass warming Darry gave him and staying out so late the night before, Soda crashed around 8pm, figuring the earlier he fell asleep, the sooner tomorrow would come. At 11:58 pm, Soda woke up, disoriented, to the sound of laughing and not so quiet whispering coming from the hallway. Once he got his bearings, he realized he could hear whispered counting from his brothers outside.</p><p>“Ten…Nine…Eight…Seven…Six…Five…Four…Three…Two…ONE.”</p><p>After the shouted ‘ONE,’ Pony, Johnny, Steve, Two-Bit, and even Darry came running in. Pony launched himself into the bed. Steve perched on the other side of the bed next to Soda. The rest of them took seats around the room, grinning at Soda.</p><p>“What’s going on?” Soda asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.</p><p>“It’s midnight!” Pony cheered, “You’re not grounded anymore.”  Soda looked at Darry suspiciously. The rule had never been that a grounding ended at midnight, but Darry was there, so it must be okay.</p><p>“None of y’all are staying too long, though. Y’all have school and work and whatever Two-Bit does with his days tomorrow,” Darry said, but it didn’t look like he was really kicking them out anytime soon.</p><p>“You ending my sentence early, warden?” Soda asked.</p><p>“Consider it my own version of Operation Free Sodapop,” Darry said with a smirk.</p><p>Sodapop smiled. Darry could be a hard ass sometimes, but maybe he wasn’t <em>always </em>a hard ass.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Over It</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>How the if-Pony-gets-punished-so-does-Steve rule was put in place</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Damnit, enough," Darry all but bellowed. "I'm sick of this shit." </p><p>"He started it!" Both Ponyboy and Steve protested. Sodapop had his arms wrapped around Pony's torso while Darry had Steve's arms pulled behind his back. Both had been brawling on the living room floor and Darry had had enough. </p><p>"You two stop fighting or I swear to God I'll skin you both right here," Darry ordered, "Sodapop, put Ponyboy in y'all's room and meet me on the porch." </p><p>"C'mon, Pony," Soda said, releasing him but keeping and firm hand on the back of his neck. </p><p>"Sit on the couch and don't you dare move," Darry said, pushing a still fuming Steve to sit down, before walking out of the house, barely resisting the urge to slam the screen door. Last time he did that, he broke the door right off the hinges. After he cooled off, he felt real guilty about that, knowing he would've whupped his brothers for doing that. He tried to get Soda to whip him for it, but the boys had made him treat them to ice cream and popcorn at the drive in as 'punishment' for doing that instead. Plus, Two-Bit had insisted that Darry stand in the corner for a while. They all got a kick out of seeing the big, bad Darry in time-out. </p><p>"I'm sick of those two being at each other's throats all the time," Darry huffed when Soda joined him on the porch. </p><p>"I know, Dar, but that's what brothers do, they fight," Soda replied, "You and Pony used to fight plenty before you started to dig each other more,"</p><p>Darry winced at that one. He certainly regretted all of the fights he and his baby brother had had.  Plopping down on on the deck chair, Darry sighed, "I know, little buddy. But I wish that someone had been there to give me a good kick in the ass back then."</p><p>"You gonna go back in there and kick some ass then?" </p><p>"I guess so, but things have gotta change. I'm all over Pony all the time for letting his temper get the best of him, but Steve needling at him all the time is no help. I haven't gotten on Steve about it as much because nothing he says by itself is all that bad, but it's getting to be constant now."</p><p>"Want me to have a chat with him?" Soda offered. Darry considered that for a moment. Maybe Soda could get through to his buddy. On the other hand, Darry knew Steve needed more than just words this time.</p><p>"Thanks, but I think Stevie and I have to have our own conversation," Darry said, rubbing his hand over his face, "But we gotta make a plan for long term. I don't think one whupping is gonna nip this in the bud.</p><p>"Do you wanna just tell Steve he's not allowed to tease Pony at all anymore?" </p><p>"Maybe as a last resort, but I also need Ponyboy to learn not to lash out when someone gets under his skin. We can't stop everyone in the world from teasing him. I'm okay with Steve bugging him a little bit as long as its not constant and its not over the line."</p><p> "Okay so how do we do that? Tell Steve he's only allowed to tease Ponyboy once an hour," Soda said with a slight smirk at the infeasible idea. </p><p>"You wanna try policing that?"</p><p>"Fine, how about this? If Stevie gets Pony all worked up and Pony gets into trouble, he gets into trouble too. Like if Steve goads Pony into cussing at him, they both get their mouths washed out. Maybe that'll make him take Pony's feelings a little more into account but not stop the teasing altogether."</p><p>"I knew I had smart kid brothers," Darry said,  smiling at Sodapop, who blushed.</p><p>"Thanks," Soda replied, "Mind taking credit for my brilliant idea though? Don't want Stevie to be mad at me." </p><p>"Oh, I see, make me the bad guy," Darry said, but he didn't really mind. He knew he would feel the same way if he was in Sodapop's shoes. </p><p>"Face, it Dar, you'll always be the bad guy."</p><p>"Well, Mr. Good-guy, can you help share the burden a little and see to Pony?" Darry didn't like to ask usually, knowing Soda hated to come down on his brothers, but he didn't want to keep either of them waiting too long. Fighting with one another was always a spanking and they all knew it. </p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"Thanks, little buddy. I'm gonna take Steve out to the garage to deal with him,"</p><p>"C'mon, Dar, he hasn't been that bad," Soda protested. Usually, getting taken to the garage meant bending over the sawhorse for a thorough whipping with Darry's belt. Darry and Sodapop had been taken out there on occasion by their father and Darry continued the tradition. Only Pony and Johnny had avoided a punishment in the garage so far. </p><p>"Relax, little buddy," Darry replied,  "I'm only gonna use my hand. Just don't want them listening to one another."</p><p>"Alright, Superman," Soda acquiesced, "Ready to go bust some ass?"</p><hr/><p>"Steven, with me," Darry ordered, jerking his head toward the door. </p><p>"C'mon Darry, your kid brother's the one who jumped on me," Steve complained.</p><p>"I'd suggest you do as you're told 'less you want me to start this conversation in here," Darry said, raising an eyebrow at Steve. </p><p>"Fine," Steve huffed, walking toward Darry. Darry grabbed hold of the back of the denim vest that Steve never seemed to take off and guided him out to the garage.</p><p>"Take a seat," Darry said, pointing toward a stool in the garage. </p><p>"Can't believe you're gonna whip me for this," Steve muttered, glaring at Darry, "The little brat attacked me and all I did was defend myself."</p><p>"I was only planning to spank you, but I can whip you instead if you keep giving me lip. That what you want?" Darry asked, glaring right back.</p><p>"No, sir," Steve said, turning his eyes toward the floor. Darry could see from the tension in the kid's shoulders that he was still pissed.</p><p>"Look, kid, I'm sick and tired of you riling Ponyboy up. I know that he made it physical, and Soda's dealing with that, but you need to stop antagonizing him."</p><p>"Anta-what?"</p><p>"Antagonizing.  It means stop picking on him and getting under his skin," Darry said,  "And don't even try to tell me you're not."</p><p>"Not my fault the kid is so damn sensitive."</p><p>"No, it's not, but it's also not his fault that he's the youngest. You don't gotta pick on him all the time for it,"  Darry replied. "And do you really think telling him to 'go play Candyland with the rest of the grade schoolers' was fair? All he did was ask to join your poker game."</p><p>"So what are you saying? I can't tease him no more? That we gotta include him in <em>everything </em>me and Soda do?"</p><p>"No, that's not what I'm saying, but you gotta make an effort to treat him a little nicer. Reel the teasing in a little. Keep an eye on him and make sure he isn't getting too worked up."</p><p>"How am I supposed to know if the little guy is gonna go ballistic on me or not?"</p><p>"Well, you better figure it out and quick. From now on if Pony gets himself in trouble because you were needling him, you're getting the same punishment."</p><p>"You gotta be kidding me!" Steve exclaimed, jumping up.</p><p>"Do I look like I'm kidding, little man?" Darry said, eyeing him sternly. </p><p>"But what if the kid just hauls off and attacks me?"</p><p>"How many times has Pony just attacked you unprovoked, huh? He's not a brat. He doesn't just throw tantrums when he doesn't get his way. I never have this problem with him getting in fights with Soda or Two-Bit or Johnny, or hell, even Dally, " Darry lectured.</p><p>"But-" Steve tried</p><p>"If that's really the case that Pony freaks out on you unprovoked, you won't be in trouble. But if I found out you lied about not getting him all worked up, you'll get double whatever he gets, understood?"</p><p>"Yessir," Steve muttered. </p><p>"Alright, I'm gonna light you up a little bit and then you and Ponyboy are gonna apologize to one another," Darry said, propping his foot up on the vacated stool and beckoning Steve over. "Jeans down and bend over."</p><p>"C'mon Dar! You don't gotta do that!" Steve tried, "I'll even apologize to Pony and we'll be real cool with one another."</p><p>"Now, Steven Thomas, unless you want my belt to come off?" Darry really hoped that Steve wouldn't test him on that. </p><p>"No, sir," Steve sighed, settling pushing down his blue jeans and settling himself over Darry's raised thigh. Darry pushed the kid over a little further till he was standing on his tiptoes with his torso fully over Darry's thigh.</p><p>"Hey!" Steve whined when Darry reached for the waistband of his underwear, "Your hand hurts plenty over the boxers, Superman!"</p><p>"Oh hush," Darry said, pulling them down, "Not like I haven't seen your bare ass before."  None of them were very modest around the Curtis house. All of them had changed in front on one another, and Steve in particular never buttoned his work shirt if he didn't have to. After a bad whupping, they weren't shy about showing off the damage to one another. Plus, Darry almost always spanked on the bare butt. The boys thought it was because he was a real hard ass, but Darry did it out of concern. He knew how strong he was and didn't want to hurt them if he couldn't see what he was doing.</p><p>Darry didn't lecture much this time, instead letting his hand do the talking. Even though Darry wasn't hitting that hard, the sound of skin against skin echoing through the garage made it noisy enough. Darry spanked in a pattern, starting on the left side of the kid's butt and making his way down, stopping at the top of Steve's thigh and moving to the other side.  He kept repeating that pattern until Steve started grunting at each swat, which he took as a sign that Steve was starting to feel it. Taking a moment to inspect his handiwork, Darry saw that Steve's butt was pretty much pink from top to bottom. Darry wanted to Steve to remember this when he sat down, so he aimed his hand toward the bottom of Steve's butt for a moment and put a little bit more force behind his smacks. Once the skin there was evenly red, Darry stopped smacking and tilted Steve back so his feet were planted firmly on the ground.</p><p>"You okay, kid?" Darry asked, helping Steve to stand up. </p><p>"No, some giant caveman just went apeshit on my ass," Steve said, easing his underwear back up and pouting at Darry. Darry had to laugh. Soda and Two-Bit would be all smiles the minute after they got punished, but Steve looked just like Ponyboy in that moment. </p><p>"Yeah, well maybe you'll think about that next time you and Pony wanna go apeshit on each other," Darry shot back, before pulling the kid into a hug and ruffling his greased-up hair. </p><p>"Yeah, yeah," Steve replied, returning the hug. </p><p>"C'mon, let's go show your buddy that I didn't kill you," Darry said, squeezing the back of kid's neck gently before letting him go. </p><hr/><p>While Darry was dealing with Steve out in the garage, Soda was having a conversation of his own with Pony.</p><p>"Hey Pony, how ya doin?," Soda asked entering their room and sitting on the bed next to Pony. </p><p>"Soda? I thought Darry was gonna come in here in skin me."</p><p>"It's looking like that's my job today," Soda said softly. </p><p>"What?!" Pony protested, "You're gonna whup me because I got in a fight with your best buddy? That's so unfair."</p><p>"Ponyboy, that ain't true and you know it," Soda said, a little hurt, "I'm always taking up for you."</p><p>"I know, I'm sorry," Pony sighed, "Just feels like Darry's always fussing at me and never Steve."</p><p>"Well, that's not happening right now. Darry's out there having a conversation with Steve."</p><p>"A normal conversation or a Darry <em>conversation?"  </em>Pony asked.</p><p>"A Darry <em>conversation</em>," Soda replied, "Darry's had enough of Steve riling you up. From now on, if you get yourself in trouble because Steve is getting under your skin, he's gonna get in trouble too. Hopefully that'll make him more sensitive to your feelings."</p><p>"Why can't Darry just make Steve not tease me anymore?"</p><p>"Because, kid, the whole world ain't gonna be nice to you all the time, you know that. Better you learn here how to deal with it where the only thing you have to face is getting your tail lit up," Soda replied, letting his tone get a little sterner. </p><p>"Can't you let me off with a warning just this once? You can hit a pillow and I can yell out and everything so Darry won't know."</p><p>"Nice try, kiddo," Soda laughed, "You sound just like me trying to talk Darry out of a whupping. Now, you behave and we'll make this nice and fast and then we can go back to watching TV. Sound good?"</p><p>"Guess so," Pony said, but Soda could see he wasn't happy. </p><p>"Drop your jeans," Soda said firmly, moving from comforting mode to disciplining mode. Darry did most of the spanking, but Soda wasn't inexperienced by any means. Plus, he'd been over Darry's knee a fair amount of times himself.</p><p>"Can't I keep them up?" Pony whined.</p><p>"No. I'm only using my hand and I'm not wearing it out on your jeans."</p><p>"Fine," Ponyboy huffed, pushing his jeans down and settling himself over Soda's lap. Soda really hated to spank Ponyboy, but in their world, it was vital that Ponyboy learn to keep from lashing out and to get along with Steve. Smarting off at the wrong person or not having his brother's back could get a greaser killed or locked up. </p><p>"No more fighting with family, okay, kiddo?" Soda said, starting to swat at Ponyboy's brief covered bottom. </p><p>"Yessir,"  Pony responded. Soda never insisted that Pony call him sir when in trouble, but he was glad to hear that his brother was taking this seriously. </p><p>"Steve is your brother, in all the ways that matter. You have to have his back and he needs to know he can trust you," Soda lectured as he continued spanking. Unlike Darry, who spanked methodically, Soda didn't really pay much attention to where he swatted, as long as it seemed like he was covering Pony's butt evenly. Pony kicked a little bit when Soda brought his hand down three times in the same place. </p><p>"I know Stevie gets under your skin, but when push comes to shove, he'd always come through for you. You know that right?" Soda asked, starting to pick up the pace and strength of the swats.</p><p>"Yessir," Pony said, involuntarily trying to squirm away from Soda's hand. Soda used his left hand to put a little bit of pressure on Pony's back, for comfort more than anything. </p><p>"I know you haven't had the best role models in this department, but you have to learn to control your temper. It's not only gonna get you in trouble with Darry and me, but it could get you in a lot of trouble out in the world."</p><p>"Yes sir," Pony replied, this time a little sniffly. </p><p>"Alright, almost done," Soda said, smacking Pony's bare thighs and the lower part of his bottom firmly before stopping and rubbing Pony's back. After a few seconds, Soda helped Pony to stand up. He was relieved to see that Pony was merely teary eyed, and not full on crying. Soda hadn't meant for this to be a harsh punishment, more of a reminder of the rules. Soda pushed himself back against the headboard of their bed, before opening his arms to Pony, who snuggled up right beside him.</p><p>"You did good, kid," Soda said, stroking Pony's hair, "Thanks for not putting up too much of a fight."</p><p>"My butt hurts," Pony said indignantly, reaching a hand back to rub his backside. </p><p>"Oh c'mon, I didn't hit you that hard, did I?" Soda teased, "Y'know Steve is not getting off so easy with Darry."</p><p>"True," Pony snorted,  "Serves him right--Ow!" Pony rubbed his butt where Soda smacked him.</p><p>"Thought you were gonna try to get along with Steve?"</p><p>"I will," Pony mumbled, "You didn't have to pop me."</p><p>"And you didn't have to mouth off," Soda shot back, "C'mon let's go out and watch TV. I have a feeling Darry is still talking to Steve, and we can steal Darry's chair."</p><p>Soda walked Pony out to the living room and plopped down on Darry's armchair, pulling Pony onto his lap. The two sat there contently watching TV for a few moments before Darry came out with Steve in tow. Pony instantly tried to jump off of Soda's lap, embarrassed about sitting in his briefs on his big brother's lap, but Soda held him close.</p><p>"You can stay where you are, Pony, Stevie ain't gonna tease you about it," Darry said, looking at Steve sternly. </p><p>"Yeah, kid, I'm real sorry for teasing you earlier," Steve said. When Pony didn't immediately reply, Soda tapped his hip in warning.</p><p>"I'm sorry for starting the fight," Pony sighed.</p><p>"Alright, now shake hands," Darry said.</p><p>"Truce?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Truce," Ponyboy replied, giving Steve a rare smile.</p><hr/><p>Unfortunately, the peace between the two didn't last long. Three days to be exact.</p><p>"Asshole," Pony all but yelled at Steve, giving him a shove before stalking toward his bedroom. Hearing that, Darry walked into the living room and fixed his glare on Steve.</p><p>"What happened?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Why you always looking at me?" Steve asked, clearly trying to look innocent.</p><p>"Because when it involves Pony, it's always you."</p><p>"I didn't do nothing!" </p><p>"He was teasing the kid about being the teacher's pet," Dally smirked, leaning back in the armchair.</p><p>"Tattletale," Steve muttered.</p><p>"Just sticking up for the kid is all," Dally said with a grin, but Darry knew it was more than that. Dally loved a little drama. </p><p>"Jesus, Steve, we had this conversation three days ago," Darry said, "Ponyboy Michael, get out here."</p><p>Pony peeked his head out of his room. Darry could see that he was calm now and more nervous about getting his ass handed to him than anything else.</p><p>"Don't make me count to three," Darry warned. Pony sighed and walked to within Darry's reach.</p><p>"No. Cussing. Out. Family,"  Darry said, grabbing Pony's arm and smacking the kid's butt once for every word.</p><p>"Sorry, Dar," Pony replied once he was let go, rubbing his butt.</p><p>"Not me you should be apologizing to, but we'll deal with that in a minute," Darry said, "C'mere Steve." Steve grumbled to himself but walked over to Darry. </p><p>"Stop. Riling. Him. Up." Darry said, smacking Steve just a bit harder, after all, he was three years older and should know better. "Now, both of you apologize to each other,"</p><p>"Sorry," they both muttered, but it was clear that both of them were still annoyed.</p><p>"Anymore of this shit today and you're gonna be spending a long time staring at the wall with your tails on fire, understood?" </p><p>"Yessir."  </p><p>"Yes, Dar."</p><p>The threat of going over Darry's knee kept the two behaving for a few days. Over the next month, Darry put their plan in action. When Steve teased Pony about being made to stand in the corner, Darry put Steve right in the other corner. When the two started arguing and it came close to getting physical again, Darry put Ponyboy and Steve in separate bedrooms to cool off for the afternoon. When Steve told Pony that he and Soda's conversation was 'adults only' for the third time that week, and Pony responded by kicking him in the shins, they both ended up with sore butts. None of the punishments had been pleasant, but it seemed the new rule was putting an end to Steve's more ruthless teasing. Three altercations in a month had to be a new record low for them.</p><hr/><p>"Pony, can you put away your school books and get the vultures, please?" Soda asked, cooking dinner that night. Darry was working late, but the vultures, Steve and Two-Bit, had come by to see what was on the menu. </p><p>"Sure, Soda." Pony replied with a laugh. Pony was less likely to mouth off to Soda. Even though he'd be pretty unhappy if Pony said no, Soda always phrased things as a question, unlike Darry who barked orders. Soda knew Darry meant well, but he could be harsh at times. He just had more worries than he used to, looking after their pack of boys.</p><p>Dinner started out peaceful, with Two-Bit cracking corny jokes and laughing so hard at them that they all had no choice but to laugh along with him. Soda shot Two-Bit a glare after he told a particularly raunchy joke, but then ended up having to switch his glare to Steve, who mock-scolded Two-Bit for making jokes "in front of the baby." Pony tensed in his seat, but Soda patted his knee, proud that the kid wasn't firing back. </p><p>"Aw, Pony here is ready to run with the big dogs," Two-Bit defended, "Ain't that right?"</p><p>"Only dog here is you," Pony shot back with a laugh, making everyone join in. Soda was relieved that the conversation was turning away from a potential Pony-Steve battle. With Darry not home, Soda did not want to have to deal with them.</p><p>"Hey, kid, you gotta girlfriend yet?" Steve asked Pony when the conversation switched to girls. Soda groaned internally, knowing that this would likely not end well. </p><p>"None of your business," Pony answered.</p><p>"Hey, I'm just looking out for you, kiddo," Steve replied, "If you wanna stop being a tag-a-long, you gotta find a girlfriend to bring to the Dingo with you."</p><p>"Steve," Soda implored, not wanting this to get out of hand. </p><p>"Oh, don't worry about him Ponyboy," Two-Bit laughed, "Steve-o didn't have his first girlfriend till he was 15. You got time yet."</p><p>"I was still getting action before that," Steve argued, reaching over to grab a green bean off of Pony's plate, "You had your first kiss yet, kid? Or does Darry not let you stay out after dark?"</p><p>"Shut up, Steve!" Pony said, taking a handful of green beans and whipping them at Steve.</p><p>"What the hell, man?" Steve yelled in response. </p><p>"Ponyboy Michael, you were raised better than that," Soda scolded, pulling Pony up by the upper arm and marching him toward the corner, "Stay there till you figure out how to cool your jets." </p><p>Turning back to the table, Soda saw that Steve was there trying to stifle a laugh. Glaring, Soda responded, "I don't know what you're laughing at, Steven Thomas. You know the rule. Go find yourself a corner."</p><p>"What? No way!" Steve replied, much to Soda's ire, "Darry ain't even here."</p><p>"Darry don't need to be here for you to act right," Soda shot back, "Now, go on."</p><p>"Really, Sodapop?" </p><p>"You think Darry's gonna be happy when he comes home and finds you didn't do what I asked?" </p><p>"You can't boss me around," Steve tried, still looking at Soda, "You're younger than me!"</p><p>"Well, I'm older than you," Two-Bit interjected, "And I say you listen to Soda." Soda shot him a grateful look. </p><p>"And if I don't?" Steve asked. Soda resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If Pony had behaved like this, the kid would already be wailing over Soda's knee.</p><p>"Then I'll skin you," Two-Bit threatened, "And I'm sure Darry will want to take a turn when he hears you didn't mind me and Sodapop."</p><p>"Fine!" Steve exclaimed, stomping over to the corner, "I can't believe y'all."</p><p>Sodapop sat back down at the table with Two-Bit and kept an eye on the two miscreants. It felt weird to stick his best friend in the corner, but he also didn't want to get chewed out by Darry for not handling the situation. Plus, Soda did agree that Steve was just as, if not more, responsible than Pony for this whole fiasco, even before the back talking started. Steve wouldn't have dared talk to Darry like that. No, Darry would've smacked Steve six ways from Sunday if the kid had put up that kinda fuss with him.</p><p>"Alright, Pony, c'mere," Soda said after 15 minutes, calling Pony over to stand in front of him, "You understand why I put you in the corner?"</p><p>"Yeah," Pony replied, "No throwing food."</p><p>"That's right," Soda said, opening his knees and pulling Pony to stand between them,"You keep saying you wanna be one of the guys, but if you keep acting like a little kid, you're gonna get treated like one. You dig?"</p><p>"Yes, Soda." </p><p>"Alright, forgiven. Now, go clear the table. We'll let Stevie do the dishes," Soda said with a wink.</p><p>"Long as I don't gotta do them," Two-Bit interjected, kicking his feet up on the table.  Pony quickly cleaned up and three stayed chatting around the table with Steve left in the corner. Soda made sure to pull Pony's chair close to him, knowing Ponyboy could be a little sensitive after being punished and needed to know he was back in good graces. </p><p>"Steve, you ready to come out and be civil?" Sodapop asked once it looked like Steve had calmed down. It still felt foreign to him to be using the stern tone that he mostly used on Pony on his best buddy. He was used to bending over right next to Steve for whatever wild stunt they had just pulled. </p><p>"Yeah," Steve mumbled.</p><p>"Alright, c'mere," Soda replied, mimicking what he'd said to Pony ten minutes before. Soda had to hide a smirk when Steve docilely came over to stand in front of him, just as Pony had.</p><p>"Even when Darry's not around, the rules still apply. I don't want Darry coming home and biting my head off for not enforcing them. Savy?"</p><p>"Yeah, Soda. You gonna tell Darry that I was being a dick earlier about standin' in the corner?"</p><p>"Nah, I'll tell him that you two were fighting but it's handled."</p><p>"Thanks Sodapop, and sorry, Ponyboy." Steve replied, extending his arm. "I'll try not to tease you about the age stuff."</p><p>"Sorry I threw green beans at ya," Pony said, shaking Steve's hand.</p><p>"Why's nobody apologizing to old Two-Bit here?" Two-Bit cut in, "Those green beans could've been in my stomach instead of the floor."</p><p>"Nobody's gonna apologize to you, you lazy bum," Soda said, rolling his eyes, "You didn't cook and you didn't help clean up. Speaking of which, you're on dish duty, Stevie." </p><p>"Sir yes sir," Steve said with a fake salute. Once Steve turned around, Soda kicked him lightly in the butt, grinning his famous Sodapop grin.</p><p>"You better watch it 'fore I knock you on your ass," Steve joked, kicking at Soda's ankles loosely. With that, Soda knew that they were back to just being buddies. He just hoped that they didn't have to deal with this anytime soon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I didn't set out to write another Sodapop heavy chapter but here we are. Apparently I have a soft spot for him. The next chapter should feature Dally, Johnny, and Darry.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Eatin' Soap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Not much could make Dallas Winston feel guilty. He would scream at little kids, slash tires, beat on Socs and think nothing of it. He went through life without a second thought for most people. No shame. Anger, sure, but never shame. </p><p>But then there was Johnny. </p><p>Johnny was his weakness. His kid brother. If anything could send him into a spiral, it was hurting Johnny. So when Dally heard Johnny say that word in front of Darry, and saw Darry snatch Johnny up by the ear and drag him toward the kitchen, his first reaction was guilt. Well, guilt mixed with anger and a need to protect. </p><p>"Now you sit back down," Darry commanded when Dally jumped up to confront him, "Johnny knows as well as the rest of y'all that I don't take that kind of language in my house."</p><p>And for once, Dally did what he was told. He knew what was gonna happen next. He'd seen Darry do it to Pony and Soda, even Two-Bit once. Straight from Mrs. Curtis' playbook, Darry was gonna make Johnny eat soap. That word was pretty much at the top of Darry's do-not-say list.  But it was no secret to any of them, including Darry, that Dallas would flaunt that rule as soon as Darry was out of earshot. Dally knew that Johnny could have only picked up that habit from him. And man, did that make him feel like shit. Dally would never let anyone wash his mouth out. But it was different for Johnny. He still had a chance. He could grow up into a good man, one who didn’t get into fights or talk badly about women. Be a man like Darry. Dally wanted more than anything for Johnny not to end up like him, so for the most part he let Darry take the kid to task.  Hell, he'd even handed Johnny over to Darry once.</p><p>In attempt to ignore his brother’s punishment, Dally kept his eyes fixed on the TV alongside the others. None of the other guys were particularly phased. With six rowdy greasers to look after, it seemed like Darry was always coming down on someone. There was some immediate grumbling, sure. It was Johnny after all. Nobody liked it when Johnny got punished, but they all settled down pretty quickly and went back to the TV.</p><p>Dally, on the other hand, couldn't keep his mind off of it. He could hear Darry in the kitchen unwrapping a new bar of soap and lathering it up under the tap. Everything Darry did seemed so unbelievably loud that Dally couldn't focus on anything else.  Once he heard Darry's heavy footsteps and the word “open,” Dally couldn't resist anymore, he had to turn his head and look toward the kitchen. There sat up on the kitchen counter, legs dangling, a forlorn looking Johnny, almost in tears already. After a moments hesitation, the kid reluctantly opened his mouth to allow Darry to put in the bar of Ivory soap, scrunching up his face in disgust as the soap scraped his teeth. Dally wanted to pound on Darry.</p><p>No, he realized, that wasn't true. Dally wanted to pound on himself. </p><p>"I don't ever want to hear that word come out of your mouth again," Darry started to lecture, "You're too fine of a young man to be talking about women that way. You hear me, Johnny Cade?"</p><p>Johnny gave a little nod, obviously trying not to move the bar too much and worsen the taste. Darry looked at the wall clock and sighed, "Five minutes, kiddo."</p><p>Dally too looked at that clock. Five minutes. Johnny could do this. For the first minute of Johnny's sentence, his eyes flickered back and forth from Johnny's face to the clock. Dally didn't know how either of them were gonna make it through those next few minutes. He didn't understand how he could survive a childhood with his old man and a stint in juvie but watching his kid brother get his mouth washed out was torture.</p><p>'It's because it's your fault,' Dally thought to himself, 'He picked up that word from you. It's you who should be eating soap.' Dallas shook his head quickly as if to clear the thought out of his mind. Dallas Winston was tuff. And hard. He would never let someone wash his mouth out like some grade schooler. But then again, he'd heard Steve and Sodapop talking a couple days before about how a whupping from Darry could knock the guilt right out of you. Make you feel lighter, somehow. And Dally had to admit it was true. He'd been feeling pretty shitty about what he did that led Darry to whip him last time, but he did feel better after Darry lit his ass up. Maybe it would work for soap too? At least it would make things more even between him and Johnny.</p><p>But damn Johnny was a kid! Dally had a reputation to protect, even if only the gang was there. To make matters worse, the <em>whole</em> gang was here. Two-Bit was sure to give him hell, and then he'd have to knock him out, and then Darry would be even more pissed. This was a whole mess. All he wanted to do was go in there and help Johnny somehow. He wasn't too good at the whole mushy stuff, but at least he could stand with him. Solidarity and all that. Of course, Darry would never let him do that. Darry did not dig them interfering with each other's punishments. Unless Dally was getting punished right along side Johnny? Darry had no qualms about punishing two of them side by side. </p><p>With that thought, and before he could talk himself out of it, Dally stood up and walked in the kitchen. </p><p>"I'm not gonna fight you on this," Darry said, glaring at Dally as he entered the kitchen, "Johnny knows he's not allowed to say that word, same as Pony and all the rest."</p><p>"'I'm not," Dally said, "You got another bar of soap?" Darry shot him a questioning look but reached under the sink and pulled a fresh bar out. Dally held out his hand and Darry handed him the bar. Steeling himself, Dally held the bar under the tap before taking a deep breath and putting the bar in his own mouth. Johnny stared at him, wide eyed. Darry looked momentarily shocked before he schooled himself and gave Dally an approving nod. Dally knew that Darry blamed him for this as much as he blamed Johnny. Johnny said the word but clearly Dally taught it to him.</p><p>Looking over at a still stunned Johnny, Dally gave him his best attempt at his signature smirk before butting the kid gently with his shoulder and hopping up right next to him on the counter.</p><p>'Johnny's doing this. You can too," Dally repeated to himself as the soap started to burn his nose. He could feel his eyes water, but he was not crying, damnit. Not in front of Johnny. And certainly not in front of the high and mighty Darry.  Like he's never said those words before.</p><p>'That's not fair,' Dally thought, 'Darry doesn't use that word. And if he ever did, his old man probably skinned him for it.' Dally was at least relieved that Darry didn't try to put Johnny over his knee. He had let Darry whup him before, but there was no way in hell he was gonna bend over the guy’s knee to get his ass smacked.</p><p>"What the hell?" Steve almost yelled, entering the kitchen, probably heading toward the fridge as he so often did. At his startled response, the rest of the gang, Soda, Pony, and Two-Bit came running in. All four stood still for a second, mouths agape, before Two-Bit broke out into laughter. Dally instinctively reached for the bar, intent on giving Two-Bit a piece of his mind, and probably chucking the bar straight at his head, when he noticed Johnny out of the corner of his eye. Damn, he'd been hell bent on setting a good example for Johnny.</p><p>"Go back into the living room before I skin all four of you," Darry threatened before Dally had the chance to fly off the handle.</p><p>"Aw c'mon Darry. This ain't something you see every day," Ponyboy complained, joining in the giggles with Two-Bit and the rest. </p><p>"Glory, what a sight," Two-Bit added, "Never thought I'd live to see the day Dallas Winston sucked on a bar of soap." </p><p>"One," Darry counted and all four made a hasty retreat. If there's one thing they all knew, it was that you did NOT want Darry to get to three. Darry had never done it to Dally. Dally would never let anyone count at him like a toddler. Well, before tonight, he didn't think he would ever eat soap either. </p><p>Dally looked at the clock, only one more minute to go. They could do this. Dally gave Johnny's knee a quick squeeze of encouragement and Johnny made a half-hearted attempt at smiling back around the soap, even though the soap was clearly burning his eyes and he was starting to cry. Dally felt like hitting something. Or someone. Too bad that someone was himself. </p><p>"Alright, Johnny, times up," Darry said at last, pulling the bar from the kid's mouth. Dally reached up to pull the bar from his own mouth, only to have his wrist grabbed firmly.</p><p>"Not you, Dallas," Darry commanded in the no nonsense way he had with all of his boys, "You keep that in a few more minutes. We both know that you've said that word more than once. " Dally sent a murderous glance to Darry, but Darry just glared back. Darry was probably the only one who wasn't at least a little afraid of Dally and would glare right back at him. After a few seconds, Dally couldn't help but look away. He knew Darry was right. This was more his fault than Johnny's and he deserved more time with the soap, as much as he hated it.</p><p>While Johnny stuck his head under the tap trying to wash the taste out, Dally looked around the room, desperate for anything to take his mind off of the taste in his mouth. He wondered how much longer Darry would make him sit there. He had started about a minute after Johnny so maybe just one more minute? On the other hand, Dally was older, and had said the word more times, and was the whole reason Johnny said the word in the first place. Damn, Darry could make him leave the bar in all night and Dally would probably let him. Hey, at least Johnny could look up to him for doing the right thing for once. </p><p>Once Johnny was done washing his mouth out, Darry took a rag and ran it under the tap before gently washing the tear tracks from Johnny’s face. Normally, such a sissy gesture would make him wanna puke, but he kinda liked that Darry was comforting the kid. Johnny’s parents damn sure never did. Once Darry was done, he pulled Johnny in for a one arm hug.</p><p>"I'm real sorry, Dar." Johnny said, sniffling just a bit, before turning and fully burying his face into the taller man's chest. "I won't say that no more."</p><p>"Easy, Johnnykid," Darry replied, wrapping the kid in a full hug, "I know you won't. You took that well. You're a good kid."</p><p>"Thanks," Johnny sniffled, pulling away. Dally could see how Johnny's face brightened after that small bit of praise and damned if that didn't piss him off. They all knew that Johnny's parents never praised him none so he took all he could get from the gang. </p><p>“Why don’t you get yourself a Coke and then go join the boys in the living room,” Darry said gently, turning him toward the fridge.  That made Dally feel a little better. At least Darry wasn't gonna make Johnny sit around with the taste of soap in his mouth all day. </p><p>"You must be feeling like shit already to wash your own mouth out so I'm not gonna lecture you, " Darry said, his voice turning firm again once Johnny had left the kitchen, "Keep that in for three more minutes and we'll call it even."</p><p>Dally groaned internally, not wanting to keep the soap in any longer. He figured that must be about twice what Johnny got, which was more than fair considering Johnny said that word once in his entire life and Dally probably said it once a day. He'd been right at least. Although his mouth tasted awful, he didn't feel nearly as guilty any more. Plus, knowing that Johnny was slurping down a Coke and probably watching TV with Pony and being fussed over by Soda, Two-Bit, and Steve made him feel a hell of a lot better.</p><p>Hopefully this would cure Johnny of any cussing, at least around Darry, so they wouldn't have to go through this whole song and dance again. Well, in that case Dally probably wouldn't be sucking on a bar of soap. No, Dally would still be pissed, but he'd be pissed at Johnny. Not for the language itself, but for getting himself in trouble again. Johnny could ride that one all on his own. But Dally knew Johnny was smart. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Plus, Darry was right. Johnny was a good kid. He didn't need to be talking like Dally.</p><p>"You'll watch your mouth around the younger boys from now on?" Darry asked, raising an eyebrow. Dally nodded hoping that Darry would end his sentence. On top of his soap tasting like shit, he felt silly sitting up on the counter with a bar of soap in his mouth. He had no problem jumping up on the counter and just shooting the shit with whoever was in the kitchen at the time, but sitting there next to the sink with Darry looking at him made him feel all of four years old. </p><p>"Alright, go ahead and rinse," Darry said, grabbing hold of the bar and pulling it from Dally's mouth. Dally didn't need to be told twice, immediately copying Johnny and sticking his head directly under the tap. </p><p>"Do I need to wipe your face too?" Darry asked, smirking at Dallas.</p><p>"Try it and see what happens to you," Dally replied, glaring once again, but without as much heat as before. Darry walked to the fridge and pulled out a coke for Dally. Dally took it but rolled his eyes. What he could really go for was a shot of Jack but he didn't think Darry would go for that. He was committed to staying on Darry's good side, at least for today. Set a good example and all that. </p><p>"Alright c'mon, let's go see what the boys are up to," Darry said, slinging an arm over Dally's shoulder as he did Johnny and turned him toward the living room.</p><p>Out of habit more than anything else, Dally immediately snapped his fingers at Ponyboy and pointed to the floor, indicating that the kid should give up his seat or he'd be forcibly removed from it. Pony complied, as usual, but Dally then realized that he maybe shouldn't pick on Darry's little brother right then. He wasn't sure if he was back in good graces yet. Dally snuck a peek at Darry, who was shaking his head, but almost fondly, and it looked like he wasn't gonna say anything about it. It was all for the best, really. That opened up the seat next to Johnny and Dally was feeling a little hover-y. Not that he'd admit that to anyone. He'd had enough damage to his reputation that day.</p><p>Only one thing left to say.</p><p>"Any of you mentions this ever again, I'll kill you." </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another Dally/Johnny centered fic coming up next!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Conversation with Johnny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: references to child abuse</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Johnny?" Dally asked, looking down at the shrouded figure asleep in the lot. No, it couldn't be Johnny. Both Dally and Darry had told the kid he wasn't gonna be sleeping in the lot no more. If his parents were fighting, he could stay over at the Curtises' or at Two-Bit's or hell, even at Buck's with Dally, but there was no way in hell he was gonna be sleeping outdoors. When the figure shifted but didn't immediately wake up, Dally nudged him with his boot.</p><p>"Stay back," Johnny cried, still half asleep and searching frantically for something, probably his switchblade.</p><p>"Hey, Johnnykid, it's me," Dally said, putting his hands up in front of him.</p><p>"Dal?" Johnny asked, shoulders relaxing and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.</p><p>"The hell you doing out here, man?" Dally asked, starting to get pissed.</p><p>"My folks were at each other again and it's not too cold so I came out here to sleep." Johnny replied, sounding more coherent now.</p><p>"Why the fuck didn't you go to the Curtises' house? They live like two blocks away. Or come find me at Bucks if you had to?"</p><p>"Didn't wanna be a bother," Johnny mumbled.</p><p>"Huh, what's that?" Dally asked, holding a finger to his ear. If the kid was gonna say something so dumb, he might as well say it loud.</p><p>"It's late. I didn't wanna bother nobody." Johnny said, a little louder now.</p><p>"God, kid, I should kick your head in for being so stupid," Dally said, shooting Johnny a glare, "C'mon, get up."</p><p>"I ain't going home, Dal," Johnny said, causing Dally to roll his eyes. Of course he wasn't taking the kid home.</p><p>"No, stupid, I'm taking you to the Curtis'." Dally reached down and pulled Johnny to his feet.</p><p>"Can't I go to Buck's with you?" Johnny tried, "Darry'll kill me." Dally almost faltered at that. Johnny almost always looked kinda like a kicked puppy but damn was he pulling on Dally's heartstrings that night. So much for being tough.</p><p>"Ol' Buck told me no more kids hanging around," Dally replied. It wasn't a lie. His boss had told him not to bring the boys around after dark, but he didn't really give a damn what Buck said most of the time. He just didn't want Johnny hanging around with the low life crowd there too much. Plus, he'd made up his mind to let Darry deal with this. </p><p>"C'mon Dal!" Johnny complained, "Darry'll skin me for sure. You know he don't want me sleeping in the lot no more."</p><p>"Good. Maybe he'll finally knock some sense into you," Dally said, getting annoyed again. He didn't want Johnny sleeping in the lot neither. Taking a deep breath, he gave Johnny a none too gentle shove to get him moving. Gentle had never been Dally's strong suit.</p><p>The walk back was mostly silent as Dally tried to get a hold of his temper. No good going off at Johnny when he knew Darry was gonna read him the riot act anyway. God, he was pissed though. Pissed, and although he'd never admit it, scared. The kid could've got jumped again. It wasn't like they lived in a good neighborhood and even though it was their turf, there were always Socs out looking for a fight. As they kept walking, Dally felt his anger start to lessen and sympathy for the kid set in. He started to second guess turning the kid over to Darry. Darry was a good guy and all but he could be tough on the boys. He had whupped Dally twice and it damn well hurt!</p><p>"Darry's skinned you before, right?" Dally asked, wanting know what he was handing Johnny over to. He had a feeling that Darry wouldn't be as harsh with Johnny as he was with him, but he had to make sure.</p><p>"Yeah, a couple of times."</p><p>"Anything like what your old man does?"</p><p>"You kidding?" Johnny snorted, "My old man smacks me around till he either passes out drunk or gets bored and stumbles away, although these days he's been taking to acting like I don't exist. Nah, Darry puts me over his knee and it stings like heck but that's it. The worst part is that he gets all serious-- well, more serious than he always is-- and sad and stuff and tells me that he expects better of me."</p><p>Dally had expected as much from his own encounters with Darry, but he was glad to hear the kid say it. Hopefully Darry could get across what Dally couldn't. Dally was never good at the emotional stuff. To be fair, neither was Darry but he was working on it. And Darry was an honest, good guy. Dally wanted Johnny to grow up to be like Darry, and if that meant not putting up too much of a fight when Darry took Johnny to task, then so be it. </p><p>"See, Dal? I wouldn't have gotten in no trouble. The suns coming up now," Johnny said as they drew nearer to the Curtis house, "In fact, I might as well make the use of the day. Head over to the school or something."</p><p>"Nah, man, you're gonna go hang out at the house till it's time for you and Pony to go to school," Darry said rubbing his hand over his face, "And you're gonna tell Darry where you been sleeping when he wakes up."  Johnny sent him an imploring look but Dally shook his head. If Johnny was truly scared of Darry, and not just worried about him being disappointed, it would be a different story. Darry had been getting better at not hollering at Ponyboy, but he never even raised his voice at Johnny. Everyone was gentle with Johnny. Well, as gentle as a bunch of greasers get. </p><p>To Dally's surprise, Darry was already up making coffee when the pair walked into the house. </p><p>"What're you doin' up, Dar?" Dally asked.</p><p>"Working the early shift today," Darry answered, "But I could ask you the same question. Or have y'all not been to bed yet?"</p><p>"Heading back to Buck's now to catch some shut eye. Been palling around with Tim," Dally responded ignoring the glare from Darry. Dally knew the man didn't approve of what he and Tim got up to most nights, but they had an unspoken agreement that Dally could do what he pleased unless it got one of his brothers involved. He knew Darry didn't like it but that's the way it was. Dally had pretty much been on his own since he was 10 and wasn't gonna start answering to anybody now. </p><p>"And you took Johnny with you?" </p><p>"Nah, man," Dally replied, a little annoyed that Darry would think that, "But Johnny's got something to tell you." He looked over to Johnny who was chewing his bottom lip nervously. Damn, all Dally wanted to do was grab the kid and get out of there. He had to remind himself that Darry wasn't like Johnny's old man, or Dally's old man for that matter. No, Darry was like his father, firm but fair.</p><p>"What is it, Johnny?" Darry prompted when Johnny didn't immediately spill. Dally kicked at Johnny's foot a little to get him talking. </p><p>"I slept in the lot again," Johnny said, barely above a whisper. </p><p>"Oh, Johnny," Darry said softly. Dally knew that wouldn't be Darry's reaction to anyone else. If it was Pony, he'd be all, 'Ponyboy Michael, you get your little butt to your room before I slap you silly.' But he wouldn't say that to Johnny. You just don't say that to Johnny. </p><p>"I'm sorry, Dar, didn't wanna bother nobody."</p><p>"You're not a bother and I don't want to hear you say that again," Darry said, his voice taking on a stern edge, "And you know how I feel about you sleeping in the lot."</p><p>"Yes, sir," Johnny sighed, looking down at his feet. </p><p>"Alright, we'll talk about this after school. Pony and Soda are still asleep. Why don't you go lay down in my room and try to get a little more sleep, huh?"</p><p>Johnny looked like he was gonna protest, but Dally elbowed him in the ribs. If Johnny said he was a bother again, Darry was likely to lose his mind. That is, if Dally didn't beat him to it.</p><p>"Alright," Johnny replied, "See ya later, Dal."</p><p>"See ya, kid."</p><p>"Couch is open, Dally," Darry offered.</p><p>"Nah, I'm gonna go back to Buck's, long as I don't find no more little kids out sleeping in the lot on my way there."  </p><p>"Okay, give me a couple minutes and I'll give you a ride."</p><p>"Alright, cool." Dally almost refused, wanting to avoid a conversation about what he'd been up to all night, but he wanted to set a good example for Johnny. Last thing the kid needed was to be arguing with Darry.</p><p>Wanting to clear his head, Dally went out to the front porch to have a smoke. The image of Johnny's kicked-puppy look kept popping into his head, but the image of the kid lying in the lot after the Socs jumped him won out. The kid would not be sleeping in the lot no more. He didn't even like Johnny being out alone during the day, let alone at night with no one to watch his back. God, he hoped whatever Darry did would knock some sense into the kid. Dally had half a mind to tan the kid himself if he wasn't so afraid of his own temper. Nah, better to let Darry handle it. </p><p>"Ready to go?" Darry asked, thermos in one hand and keys in the other. </p><p>"Yeah, alright," Dally said, putting out the cancer stick and hopping in the car. </p><p>"He's really gotta cut it out with the sleeping outside shit," Dally said once they were on the road.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm hoping I can nip this in the bud," Darry replied</p><p>"Good," Dally said, "That's why I brought the kid to your place instead of to Buck's with me."</p><p>"If he were anyone else, he'd be looking at a trip to the garage --"</p><p>"Do that and I'll bash your brains in." Dally meant it too. There was no way Darry was gonna be giving the kid a whipping with his belt. It was way too much like what Johnny's old man did to him.</p><p>"If you'd've let me finish, I was saying that I'm not doing that to Johnny," Darry said with an edge to his voice, "I'd prefer not to spank him at all, but I need to something to make this to stick. Better for the kid to be sleeping indoors on his stomach than out in the lot. "</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Dally backed off, reminding himself that <em>he </em>was the one who turned Johnny over in the first place. He could've taken the kid back to Buck's but he brought him to Darry's for a reason. </p><p>"I really appreciate you bringing him to our house," Darry said, his tone softer, "I know it can't be easy for you to feel like Johnny's gonna be hurting because of you. I hate coming down on any of the boys, especially Johnny. But he'd be hurting a hell of a lot more if he got jumped again. And just so you know, I'm gonna give him a choice to be grounded to our place or go over my knee, but I'm almost certain he's gonna take the spanking. I've always given him the option but he's always chosen to get it over quick."</p><p>Dally could understand that. He hated being cooped up too long. Being stuck in the house for however long must suck. Not as bad as being in the cooler, but still. Plus, for whatever reason Johnny liked to go home every once in a while. Probably to make sure his folks still remembered who he was.</p><p>"I'm gonna have a talk with Johnny when I get home from work. I should be done by four-ish if you wanna stop by and check on the kid," Darry said as he pulled up out front of Buck's.</p><p>"Tuff enough," Dally shrugged, not wanting to show any more concern than he already had, "Thanks for the ride, man."</p>
<hr/><p>Johnny was sitting at the table with Pony doing homework when Darry got home that afternoon. Truth be told, he only did his homework about half the time, but he didn't want Darry to know that. </p><p>"Hey guys, how was school?" Darry came in sounding tired but happy. That was good. Happy was good.  Johnny was tired too. He was too nervous and guilty to fall asleep in Darry's bed that morning. </p><p>"Fine," Ponyboy answered, still focused on his homework.</p><p>"How about you, kiddo?" Darry asked, turning to Johnny. </p><p>"Fine," Johnny managed. Darry studied him for a moment before apparently deciding to accept that answer.</p><p>"You boys eat anything?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Yeah, we had some of last night's cake," Pony replied. Johnny wasn't gonna say anything if he didn't have to. He wasn't much of a talker anyway. </p><p>"Good. Johnny, you wanna talk now or later?"</p><p>"Now," Johnny said. He just wanted to get it over with and have Darry forgive him.</p><p>"Good luck, man," Ponyboy said with sympathy. Johnny had filled him in earlier about what had happened.</p><p>"Ah c'mon, I'm not that bad to talk to," Darry complained, but with a little smile.</p><p>"It's not the talking, it's what happens after," Ponyboy shot back.</p><p>"Yeah, well maybe if you ever listened to just talking, we wouldn't have to do the after part," Darry said, but he didn't seem to be really annoyed. </p><p>"Like I said, good luck, Johnnycake," Pony said. Johnny felt Darry's hand come down gently on his shoulder and start to guide him toward the bedroom. </p><p>"Have a seat, kiddo," Darry said gesturing to the bed. Once Johnny sat down, Darry brought a wooden chair that sat in the corner of his room over and sat in front of Johnny, so close that their knees were almost touching. </p><p>"You wanna tell me what happened last night?" Darry asked. Johnny didn't really want to, but he was pretty sure that Darry wasn't asking. </p><p>"My folks were fighting so I went out to the lot to sleep," Johnny said, his eyes looking turning down toward his lap.</p><p>"Hey, eyes up." Darry replied, firmly tilting the kid's chin up, "What time was that?"</p><p>"Uh the clock's busted but I would guess around midnight?" </p><p>"So based on when you and Dally showed up here this morning, you were alone in the lot for almost five hours?" Darry said, his voice growing sterner. Johnny had to keep himself from fidgeting.</p><p>"Guess so," Johnny said, barely above a whisper.</p><p>"Do you know why me and Dally are always at you about sleeping in the lot?" </p><p>"Yeah, it's not safe."</p><p>"You're damn right it's not safe. Some random hood could jack you up, never mind the Socs. I know they've calmed down after the rumble, but you still never know. You've been jumped before. I know you got your blade on you, but how you gonna grab it if you're asleep?" </p><p>"Dunno."</p><p>Darry sighed at that but continued on, "And why didn't you come here and sleep on the couch? I know you didn't want to bother no one but the door's never locked. Hell, there's someone asleep on our couch practically every other night."</p><p>"Didn't think of it that way."</p><p>"Well, since you didn't seem to put a lot of thinking into you sleeping arrangements, I want you sleeping here for the next two weeks where I can keep an eye on you," Darry said.</p><p>"But my folks'll wonder where I am," Johnny protested, even though they both knew that wasn't true. He'd liked to keep pretending that maybe one day they'd care. </p><p>"You can go home in the evenings if you like, but I want you here every night by 10. Midnight on the weekend. Your folks put up a fuss and they can talk to me." </p><p>Johnny nodded, knowing his parents wouldn't make a fuss, but appreciating that Darry went along with the charade. </p><p>"After this week, I wanna know each day if you're planning to stay with one of the boys, with us, or at your house. Those are your options. I know things change in your house quick, but I want you to tell me in the morning if you didn't end up sleeping at home."</p><p>"Yessir."</p><p>"And you will under no circumstances be sleeping in the lot. Understood?" </p><p>"Yessir. I promise."</p><p>"You've said that before, so now it's my job to make sure it sticks," Darry said, "I can do that one of two ways. One, I can ground you. Two weeks. You go to school and home to your folks a bit, if you want, but otherwise, you'd be here, writing lines or doing chores. Two, I can tan you. You pick, kiddo."</p><p>Johnny had a feeling from previous encounters that those were gonna be the options. He didn't particularly want to get tanned, but whatever Darry could dish out couldn't be as bad as the his father. Plus, he didn't like the idea of being grounded. Darry had told him before that although he was being punished, Darry wasn't still mad at him, but Johnny couldn't quite accept that. He didn't want to go through two weeks of feeling like he was in disgrace.</p><p>"You can whip me, Dar," Johnny said after almost no hesitation.</p><p>"Now you listen here, Johnny Cade, I've never whipped you before and I'm not about to start," Darry said, his tone becoming harsher, and maybe a little hurt, "Why in blazes would you think I would?"</p><p>"'Cause like you said, this is big. Both you and Dally have told me a bunch of times not to sleep in the lot and I disobeyed ya," Johnny replied sadly, "You'd whip Pony for doing that."</p><p>"You and Ponyboy are two different people and how I deal with him is none of your concern."</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny replied, feeling a little embarrassed at Darry scolding him for bringing up Pony. </p><p>"Look kid, I ain't aiming to be anything like your dad, so for the time being, I'm only gonna use my hand to spank you. If you do something real bad, I might spank you and give you some other punishment on top if it, but that's it. But you usually don't give me too much trouble, which I appreciate. Lets me save my arm for Two-Bit," Darry said with a wink. Truth be told, Darry could've probably switched any of the boys name in there and he would've been right. They all seemed to have a knack for trouble.</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Johnny said. He believed Darry. The man was pretty adamant about keeping to his word. </p><p>"So you still picking the tanning?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Yessir."</p><p>"I figured," Darry said resignedly, "Stand up."</p><p>Johnny did as asked and Darry took his place on the bed before pulling the kid to stand between his spread knees. Quickly, he undid the button on the Johnny's jeans sand tugged them down. The first time Darry spanked Johnny, he'd told the kid to do it, but his hands were shaking so bad that Darry had to take over. Ever since then, Darry just did it for him. Johnny wasn't nearly as nervous this time, but it was easier just to let Darry do it. Besides, he was still a <em>little</em> nervous<em>. </em> </p><p>"I've said it before, but I think it's worth repeating," Darry started, gently tipping Johnny over his knee before pulling the kid's briefs to mid thigh, "I'm not baring your bottom to be mean, just so I can see what I'm doing."</p><p>Johnny just nodded and Darry tapped his backside a few times with his hand before asking, "Ready, kiddo?"</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny replied, bracing himself for the first swat. He didn't have to wait long. Darry's hand came down with a stinging smack seconds later. Ponyboy had complained to him that the first swat was always the worst because it always hurts more than you're expecting. For Johnny, it was the opposite. Sure it smarted, but he always expected it to hurt more.</p><p>"I don't like doing this, but you need to learn to take better care of yourself," Darry said. Johnny just nodded as he felt Darry's rough, calloused hand come down on his butt in a precise rhythm.  Darry spanked in a pattern, going down one side before switching to the other. After a couple of trips of Darry's hand, Johnny could feel the unpleasant heat all over his butt. He wrapped his both arms around Darry's leg, both for stability and comfort. </p><p>"You're a smart kid. You got brains in your head and but you gotta use 'em," Darry lectured, his hand continuing to fall, "Sleeping in the lot's not safe and I will not have you risking your neck out there. </p><p>"Yessir," Johnny sniffled, surprised that he was tearing up already. He could take a whipping from his old man without making a peep, but somehow getting scolded and spanked by Darry made him cry. He knew from hearing the other boys, and from his own two experiences over Darry's knee, that Darry wouldn't judge him for it.</p><p>"You are always welcome here," Darry continued, and Johnny felt the smacks get a little harder, " Listen good because this is important. I don't like you saying that you're a bother. We love having you over. The whole gang loves you. I don't think Dally's ever loved anything but somehow you made the little punk love you."</p><p>Johnny gave a little laugh at that, despite his tears. He looked up to Dally so much that it was odd to hear anyone call him 'the little punk.' Darry was definitely ramping up the speed and strength of the swats. Johnny figured he should've guessed that. Darry was always getting on him about talking down on himself. </p><p>"I'm disappointed in the choices you made last night, but that don't change the way I feel about you. The way we all feel about you. You're our kid brother and we expect you to take care of yourself. I don't care if I have to tan you every day to get that through your head."</p><p>Johnny broke down at that. His parents sure never gave a damn about what he did or whether he was taking care of himself. He felt himself go limp over Darry's knee, just crying. He didn't even realize that Darry had stopped until he was suddenly right side up and sitting on Darry's lap, his sore butt between Darry's knees. </p><p>"Shh, Johnnycake, you're alright," Darry cooed, and Johnny buried his face into the man's chest.</p><p>"I'm sorry. Won't do it no more," Johnny cried.</p><p>"I know you won't. You're a good kid. The bravest kid I know. But you don't gotta be brave right now. Just let it out," Darry said, rocking him back and forth. It made Johnny feel a little bit like a baby but it also felt kinda nice. Johnny soaked up the comfort of Darry's strong arms for a few minutes as he gradually stopped crying. He felt himself going heavy on Darry's lap and figured he'd close his eyes for just a minute.</p>
<hr/><p>When Dally came by around 4:30, the Curtis', plus Two-Bit and Steve were all in the living room. </p><p>"Hey Dal," Steve said as Dally entered the house.</p><p>"Hey man," Dally replied, but his eyes were fixed on Darry, "Where's the kid?"</p><p>"Sleeping in my bed," Darry said, looking down at his watch, "You can go wake him up if you want, though. He's been asleep near an hour and I don't want him to sleep too long now and be up all night."</p><p>"Alright, cool," Dally shrugged, slowly heading toward Darry's room, not wanting to seem to eager. He felt like a heel about the whole turning Johnny over thing and had been waiting all day to come see him.</p><p>"Rise and shine, kid," Dally said, tugging gently on the kid's hair.</p><p>"Dally?" Johnny said sleepily.</p><p>"Yeah, it's me. Good to see ya sleeping in doors for once." </p><p>"You don't gotta rub it in," Johnny said, propping himself up on his elbows. </p><p>"So what'd Darry do to you anyway?" Dally said with a laugh, "Do I gotta kick his ass?"</p><p>"Kick his ass? You're the one who ratted on me," Johnny complained.</p><p> "Hey, don't get wise," Dally said, flicking the kid lightly on the head, "You deserved it. Acting like a little idiot like out there."</p><p>"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Dal," Johnny said, his lower lip wobbling. Oh God, was the kid crying? Dally wasn't good with tears. </p><p>"Hey, relax. I ain't mad at you," Dally tried, smoothing Johnny's hair down, "Just don't do it again. I swear you're tryna make my hair turn gray."</p><p>"I won't."</p><p>"Where you gonna be sleeping tonight?"</p><p>"Darry says I'm sleeping here for the next two weeks."</p><p>"Good," Dally nodded, "Don't feel like patrolling the lot looking for you every night."</p><p>"You won't gotta. Darry whupped that right out of me," Johnny said.</p><p>"Seriously, kid, you ain't hurt too bad, right?" </p><p>"Nah, like I told ya before, Darry's not too bad." Johnny said.</p><p>"Alright, c'mon, then. Darry wants you to get up so you aren't up all night," Dally said, pulling the covers off of the kid. </p><p>"Dal!" Johnny complained, clearly embarrassed to be seen in just his t-shirt and briefs but Dally just rolled his eyes. He could see a little bit of redness of the top of the kid's thighs and the part of his butt that was visible from under his briefs, but nothing that looked too severe.</p><p>"Looks like Darry did get you good," Dally laughed. Before Johnny could react, Dally pinned him down with one hand and delivered an almighty smack dead center on the kid's ass with the other. </p><p>"Ow, Dally! What the heck did you do that for?" Johnny said, wriggling off the bed with a hand hovering protectively over his butt. </p><p>"That's for scaring the devil outta me, you little shit."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Something much more light hearted coming up next!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Lost and Found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was spring cleaning day in the Curtis house, the boys' least favorite day of the year. Except Darry. It was Darry's favorite. The first time he instituted it, he'd been met with nothing but complaints. They'd tried anything from 'the house ain't that dirty' to 'I don' even live here,' but Darry'd told them that anyone who ate his food and slept on his couch could also clean his house once in a while. He may have also suggested that he'd give them some <em>help </em>getting started if they didn't do as they were told. They all knew well and good that they didn't want Darry's brand of help.</p><p>"Jesus Christ, don't let Darry see that," Darry heard Two-Bit say from the garage. He rubbed his hand over his face, wondering if he should even bother investigating whatever contraband they were trying to hide. What could it be now? He'd just confiscated Soda and Steve's fireworks last week and Two-Bit's spud gun the week before. </p><p>"Don't let Darry see what?" He asked, catching the two boys off guard.</p><p>"Uh, how good of a job we're doing," Pony said, clearly hiding something behind his back, "We wanted it to be a surprise."</p><p>"Uh huh," Darry said, unconvinced, "Whatcha got there?"</p><p>Pony sighed before handing over the once familiar object. Darry couldn't help but laugh.</p><p>"Soda, come out here for a second," Darry called, still grinning.</p><p>"Yeah, Dar--What the hell?" Soda asked, coming out with Steve, as usual, in tow.</p><p>"Is that...the paddle?" Steve asked, "I thought that thing was gone forever?"</p><p>"Me and Soda stole it when we were kids and Einstein here forgot where he hid it," Darry said, remembering how much they hated the thing when they were younger.</p><p>The paddle itself wasn't very big. It was one of those toy paddles that had a string and ball attached to it, but the ball had long since fallen off. It had been around as long as Darry could remember. When they were little, it was just a threat that kept them out of any big trouble. All their parents had to say was, "do I need to paddle your bottom?" and they'd be stopping and apologizing right away. By junior high, they all became a little more brazen, Sodapop especially. It seemed like every other week Soda was getting his tail lit up for some idiotic stunt he'd pulled. Darry had also gotten it his fair share, but Ponyboy, to his knowledge, had only been paddled once before it went missing. </p><p>"Wait, how do you know about the paddle?" Pony asked Steve.</p><p>"You really think your Pop never whupped me and Soda with it?" Steve asked, looking at Pony like he was stupid.</p><p>"Cool it," Darry said to Steve, before turning to Soda, "Would've been nice if you'd remembered where you hid it back then. Could've saved me some trouble with Dad."</p><p>"What'd'ya mean?" Soda asked.</p><p>"Remember that time I got busted for sneaking out to meet Stacey Thomas at the park? It was probably a few weeks after we stole the thing. Dad was gonna paddle me for it but when he went to go get it, he couldn't find it. I managed to convince him that it was only me who stole it and lost it. Dad whipped me instead and I'll tell you, little buddy, that hurt a lot more than a paddling."</p><p>"Why didn't you rat me out?" Soda asked, looking bashful all of a sudden.</p><p>"Eh, that's what big brothers are for. No sense for you to get in trouble when I was already getting it. And you were only like thirteen. I was seventeen and shoulda known better. "</p><p>"Thanks, Dar," Soda said with a grin.</p><p>"Now that I'm in charge, though, maybe I should get you back for that," Darry joked, "Make an example out of you so that the paddle doesn't go mysteriously missing again."</p><p>"Nuh uh, not gonna happen," Sodapop said, dancing out of the way of the halfhearted swat Darry threw his way.</p><p>"Whatever, with you boys, I'm sure it won't be long before someone gets to try it out," Darry laughed.</p><p>"Look at him, he's like a kid on Christmas with that thing!" Two-Bit joked.</p><p>"Keep it up and your butt'll be glowing like a Christmas tree," Darry threatened. Truth be told, he'd rather never have to whup any of them again, but since that wasn't going to happen, he'd use any tool he had to keep them in line. Plus, maybe the boys' not so fond memories of the thing would keep the out of trouble for at least a little while. </p><p>Wishful thinking. They lasted all of four days before Darry had to break out the paddle. </p>
<hr/><p>Okay, so maybe throwing knives at the ceiling wasn't their best plan in hindsight. It had started when Steve, getting bored of his homework, started flinging his pencil at the ceiling. Two-Bit and Soda soon joined in and then it was on to see who could get a pencil stuck in the ceiling first. When that didn't work, they switched to anything pointy they could find, knives included. Two-Bit had even tried his prized switchblade, but no luck. It was fun while it lasted, though. Steve enjoyed the adrenaline rush of throwing the knife and dodging out of the way before it came back down. Unfortunately, that fun came to a crashing stop when Superman walked through the front door. </p><p>"What in God's name are you doing?" Darry growled, grabbing Soda's arm as he was about to toss.</p><p>"Trying to see if we can get a knife to stick in the ceiling," Two-Bit said, flinging his blade up again. Steve shook his head. He wasn't sure if Two-Bit was too stupid to notice that Darry was pissed or too brazen to care.</p><p>"Two-Bit!" Darry scolded, grabbing the kid and smacking him twice on the back of his left thigh, "Stop throwing that damn blade."</p><p>"Aw, Dar, it was all in good fun," Soda said.</p><p>"Good fun?! You could've sliced yourselves to ribbons!" Darry fumed, "Pick these up right now."</p><p>Steve watched Darry walk back out the front door and thought for a brief second that maybe they were off the hook. They couldn't be that lucky, could they? He looked out over the living room floor and saw the discarded pencils, knives, and other sharp objects littering the floor, and realized there was no way that Darry was letting this slide. Probably just pacing outside to cool himself down before he came back in and tore them up. </p><p>Soda and Steve quickly gathered up the kitchen knives while Two-Bit rounded up all the pencils. Funny, seemed like the only time Two-Bit ever helped out was when he was about to get his ass handed to him by Darry. Not knowing what else to do, the three took a seat in the living room after they were done cleaning to wait for Darry. They didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later Darry came back in and Steve was at least relieved to see that Darry's belt was still around his waist. But what was that in his hand? Oh damnit!</p><p>"What the hell were the three of you thinking?" Darry asked, gesturing with the paddle. Steve knew that Darry wanted an explanation, but all Steve could do was look at the damn thing. He remembered the last time he and Soda had been whupped with it before it went missing. They were thirteen and tried to take Mr. Curtis' car out for a joyride. Soda had been backing out of the driveway at about a mile per hour when Mrs. Curtis showed up. The next thing they knew, they were being dragged inside by the ear and stuck in a corner to wait for Soda's dad to get home and paddle their backsides. Afterwards, Steve and Soda spent the evening arguing over who got it worse and whose butt was redder. They both slept side by side on their stomachs that night, kicking a ten year old Pony out to go sleep in Darry's bed.</p><p>"Steve, hey, pay attention" Darry said, snapping his fingers in front of the kid. Damn, how much time had passed?</p><p>"Sorry what?" </p><p>"You know, what, forget it," Darry sighed, "Seems the only way to get through to y'all is by heating up your backsides."</p><p>"Aw, Darry, you don't gotta do that. You made your point loud and clear. We will never ever ever throw knives at the ceiling again," Soda tried, bless him, flashing his most charming grin. </p><p>"Well, good, but I intend to make sure you won't think about doing nothing else stupid for a while," Darry said, propping his foot up on the coffee table, "Who's first?" </p><p>Steve was at least mildly relieved to see that Darry put his foot up on the coffee table instead of sitting down. Darry could be pretty predictable. Sitting down meant that they were in for a long spanking over Darry's lap. Propping his foot up usually meant you were in for a short reminder and then he'd let you go. He was not, however, looking forward to becoming reacquainted with that damn paddle. </p><p>"Sodapop," Darry said when no one volunteered, snapping his fingers and pointing to the spot directly in front of him. Soda didn't fuss, just went over and bent over Darry's knee. It didn't look like Darry was gonna make them drop their jeans and Steve was glad for that. From where he was sitting on the couch, Steve could see both Soda's face and butt. Darry tapped Soda's ass a few times with the paddle before bringing it down with a loud crack. </p><p>The whole ordeal was less than a minute in total. Darry wasn't really giving any time between smacks. Steve counted the pops as Darry landed them, wanting to know what he was in for.  At five, Soda let out a small grunt, and at eight, Steve noticed Soda grab onto Darry's ankle for comfort. Thankfully Darry let him up after 10 smacks, and Soda was wincing but dry eyed. </p><p>"Use your head next time, okay little buddy?" Darry said.</p><p>"Yeah, Dar, I got the message," Soda said, rubbing his butt.</p><p>"Good," Darry said, squeezing Soda's shoulder gently before turning to Steve and repeating his snap and point gesture, "Steve, your turn."</p><p>Steve reluctantly rose from the couch. He was a little shorter than Soda so he had to stand on his toes to fully lean over Darry's leg. Holding onto his brother's ankle for support, Steve felt Darry grab one of his belt loops to further steady him. Darry tapped him once, twice, three times before smacking him. Steve heard the 'whap' it made before he felt it. It wasn't sharp like the belt and he jeans certainly dampened some of the impact, but it definitely still smarted. As Darry continued paddling him, Steve kept count of the smacks, eagerly waiting for the tenth to come and go. He barely had time to think as Darry kept the swats coming. When Darry landed the tenth smack, Steve tried to push himself up, but Darry kept a firm grasp on his belt loop and popped him once more.</p><p>"Damnit, Darry, why'd you give me an extra?" Steve complained as he was finally let up.</p><p>"Next time pay attention when I'm lecturing y'all," Darry shrugged, "Now stop pouting before I give you something to pout about."</p><p>Darry had threatened that plenty of times, and Steve was pretty sure he'd never go through with it, but not sure enough to test him. Not particularly wanting to sit down, Steve followed Soda's lead and leaned against the wall. What he really wanted to do was go into the bathroom and put a cold washrag on his ass, but Soda was still there and Darry hadn't dismissed them, so he figured he'd better stay. His butt was hot and sore but all in all it wasn't that bad. A real spanking over Darry knee, even with his hand, would've hurt worse. Steve had a feeling his butt wouldn't even be red and they'd be sitting down by dinner. No, this was just a short reminder that, as Darry always said, their actions have consequences.  </p><p>"C'mere, Two-Bit," Darry said. For once, Two-Bit didn't have a smart ass response. He came over and started to bend over Darry's leg, but Darry put a hand out to stop him.</p><p>"Show me," Darry said, cocking his head. Steve had to stifle a laugh. Once, Two-Bit had put on six pairs of underwear on before a whipping. Another time, he stuffed newspaper down his pants to try to protect his ass. After it happened a second time, Darry always insisted that Two-Bit prove that he had a normal amount of clothes on before spanking him. </p><p>"When would I have had time to put anything on?" Two-Bit complained, but was already doing as he was told. He unbuttoned his pants and reached back and pulled his pants down enough to show Darry that he was indeed only wearing one pair of briefs and there was no newspaper shoved in his pants. </p><p>"I wouldn't put anything past you," Darry said, taking the kid's arm and pulling him over his raised knee. Darry paddled Two-Bit pretty much the same way he did Soda and Steve, except Steve could've sworn Darry was hitting Two-Bit a little harder than he had them. Steve didn't know whether it was because Two-Bit was older, or because he'd continued throwing the blade when Darry had already started hollering. It had been pretty damn stupid to keep going after they'd been busted. Two-Bit never kept quiet, even during a paddling, so he ouched and owed his way through all ten swats. </p><p>"Y'all gonna think before you pull your next stupid stunt?" Darry said, letting Two-Bit up and looking at them sternly. </p><p>"Yes, Dar," they all said quickly, not wanting another round with that paddle. </p><p>"Good," Darry said, before softening his tone and smiling at them for the first time that afternoon, "The paddle as bad as I remember?"</p><p>"Nah, your old man could put your swing to shame," Steve replied, unable to resist a small jab. He smirked at Darry who smiled back at him. Uh oh, that wasn't a good smile. That was a dangerous smile. Steve bolted out the front door with Darry hot on his tail. Two-Bit and Soda were trailing behind, presumably to see the show. He tried to run but Darry was fast. And strong. Before he knew it, Darry had him thrown up over his shoulder in a fireman's hold.</p><p>"Say uncle," Darry said, jostling him.</p><p>"Not on your life," Steve fired back. </p><p> "Okay, I guess you know what I gotta do next," Darry said, tickling him behind the knee. Steve was extremely ticklish in that spot and they all knew it. </p><p>"Uncle!" Steve yelled pretty quickly after Darry started, laughing and squirming over his big brother's shoulder. Darry tickled Steve for a few seconds more before putting him back on his feet. Steve couldn't help but grin ear to ear. Most of the time, Darry was in Dad-mode, which their gang admittedly very much needed, but Steve loved it when Darry would have a little fun with them. It was like Darry was one of they guys. Just their big brother again. </p><p> Steve couldn't think too hard on it in that moment, though, because as Soda leaped onto Darry's back, he just had to get in on the action. Payback's a bitch, after all. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Striking a Deal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>School was out and Two-Bit was looking for something to do. The boys were either at work or no where to be found, so he headed over to the Dingo to see if he could find any action. Pulling into the parking lot, he spotted some of the Shepard gang hanging out over to one side. As he parked and walked toward them, he recognized one all toofamiliar figure: Ponyboy Curtis, who was very much not allowed to hang out with the Shepard gang unsupervised. He was still too naive, too easily persuaded to follow the other boys into trouble. </p><p>Jesus, now Two-Bit had to deal with that.</p><p>"He-ya, boys," Two-Bit said, sidling up beside Ponyboy, whose eyes went wide at his presence, knowing he'd been busted. </p><p>"H-hi, Two-Bit," Pony stammered. </p><p>"You ready to go meet up with the guys, Pony?" Two-Bit asked. There was no way the kid was staying there, but he wasn't gonna embarrass the kid if he didn't have to. He'd didn't quite know what he'd do if Ponyboy protested, but it wasn't gonna be pretty.</p><p>"Huh?" Ponyboy replied and Two-Bit could just about smack the kid. He was trying to be nice here. </p><p>"Remember, we're supposed to meet Steve and Soda at the DX? I told you I'd give you a ride," Two-Bit ground out.</p><p>"Oh, yeah," Pony replied, clearly confused but playing along. </p><p>"Thought you were coming down to the river with us?" Curly Shepard asked. Two-Bit had to bite his cheek to keep from hollering at Pony right then. The kids only went down by the river to drink whiskey, smoke grass, and make bad decisions. Boy, Darry was gonna wear him out something awful. </p><p>"Forgot I had plans. Sorry, Curls."</p><p>"We'll see ya later, guys," Two-Bit said, grabbing Pony's upper arm and pulling the kid back toward his car, resisting the urge to smack the kid's butt right there. It's what Darry would do, but Two-Bit liked to think of himself as a cool big brother. He'd popped the kid a few times before but never in view of anyone else but the gang. </p><p>"What the hell were you thinking, kid?" Two-Bit all but yelled, slapping Pony hard across the back of the head once they were in the car, "Darry's gonna kill you."</p><p>"C'mon, Two-Bit, do you gotta tell him? I don't think I'll ever sit down again."</p><p>"And have Darry whup my ass as well? Hell no. Besides, you know good and well you ain't supposed to be hanging out with the Shepard gang without one of us along."</p><p>"Please Two-Bit? Darry won't find out and I won't ever do it again!"</p><p>"Yeah, sure," Two-Bit snorted.</p><p>"What if you punish me?" Ponyboy said, as if it was the greatest idea he'd ever had, "I could write you an essay about how I'm gonna make better choices in the future?"</p><p>"No," Two-Bit responded. This was a big deal and the kid was certainly not getting away with some wimpy little punishment. </p><p>"Chores? I could wash your car and do your laundry and whatever you need?"</p><p>"You don't think Darry would find it awfully suspicious if you were suddenly doing all that stuff for me?"</p><p>"You could stick me in the corner for a really long while?"</p><p>"Sure, we can do that after Darry whups you."</p><p>"How about you skin me yourself?"</p><p>Two-Bit was taken aback by that. "Why would you want me to do that when that's what Darry's gonna do anyway?"</p><p>"'Cause Darry's liable whip my ass right off, 'specially if he heard I was heading down by the river. Figured I'd take my chances with whatever you could dish out." God, the kid was right. Darry was gonna be pissed. Ponyboy had near enough got himself into another reckless situation by following other people. He was not allowed to hang out with Curly or any of those boys without one of the gang along for that very reason. Two-Bit hated feeling like a tattle-tale but it was important that Ponyboy learned his lesson good. </p><p>Clearly seeing opportunity in  Two-Bit's pause, Pony continued, "Please, Two-Bit. You spank me and then you'll know that I've been punished and I won't do it again! Darry never has to know."</p><p>Two-Bit wanted to say no, he really did, but the kid's pouting face got to him. He knew Darry would blister the kid's behind if he found out. As the recipient of quite a few Darry blisterings himself, Two-Bit couldn't help but feel for the kid. </p><p>"Okay, yes, fine," Two-Bit sighed. There were a million things Two-Bit would rather do with his afternoon than deal with Pony, but here they were. </p><p>"Really? Thanks Two-Bit!" Pony said, and Two-Bit had to laugh at how relieved the littlest Curtis sounded. He did realize that the thing Two-Bit was agreeing too was whupping his butt, right?</p><p>"Don't thank me yet. I'm still gonna tan your butt good and proper," Two-Bit said grimly, pulling in to the Curtis' yard, "Doesn't look like anyone's home so we better get this done now."</p><p>"Okay," Pony shrugged, finally sounding the least bit nervous. Two-Bit figured the fact that he was still getting spanked was finally setting in. They walked inside together in in awkward silence. Two-Bit usually always had something to say, but in this moment he was coming up short. Jesus Lord, why did he agree to this? </p><p>"So, uh, how does Darry usually do this?" Two-Bit asked, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it on the couch. He knew what to do at least well enough to know it would get in the way.</p><p>"Haven't you been on the receiving end of enough beat downs to know how his works?"</p><p>"Well, yeah, but I didn't know if he did anything different, you being the baby and all." Two-Bit had spent enough time over Darry's knee or out in the garage, but he didn't know if Darry or Sodapop did anything extra since Pony was just a kid. He knew Darry handled Johnny differently than the rest because the kid needed a little extra care. Two-Bit didn't think he could ever spank Johnny. He'd popped Johnny and Ponyboy once when he found them trying to do flips out of the big oak tree, but he'd felt so guilty about it that Sodapop had to reassure him that he'd done the right thing. </p><p>"Uh, I think it's pretty much the same," Pony shrugged. </p><p>"Alright then," Two-Bit said, pulling out a chair from the kitchen table and sitting down on it, "Lose the jeans."</p><p>Ponyboy looked at him for a moment, as if to see if he was serious, but Two-Bit had meant it when he said he was gonna tan him good and proper. He was cutting the kid a break from Darry, but that didn't mean that he wasn't gonna make damn sure that Pony thought good and hard before doing this again.</p><p>"Do I gotta take 'em down?" Pony asked. </p><p>"Ponyboy Curtis, stop stalling and do as I asked ya," Two-Bit ordered, surprised at how stern he sounded.</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy responded immediately, looking as startled as Two-Bit felt at the response. Two-Bit decided he didn't really like being called 'sir' by Pony. He much preferred to be getting into trouble alongside Pony than to be busting on him for it. Strict big brother wasn't a role he'd ever expected to play. He was much better suited for troublemaking middle brother. He forced himself to stay stern as he watched Pony unbutton and drop his jeans, stepping out of them before awkwardly climbing over his lap. Two-Bit realized then that sitting on the couch to spank the gangly teen would've been easier, but they made it work. </p><p>Looking at the backside in front of him, Two-Bit couldn't believe he was about to spank Ponyboy. Lord knows Two-Bit had done worse things than this, and would certainly do worse things in the future, but he needed to be the big brother here. Ponyboy just didn't have the street smarts yet to be fooling around with the Shepard gang. </p><p>Never having been on this end of things, Two-Bit didn't quite now how hard to swing. He'd only ever popped the kid over jeans. This seemed different, somehow. He smacked Ponyboy once, but the kid didn't react and the swat didn't really make much noise. He tired again, a little harder this time. This time it made a sound but Pony still didn't respond. The third time, Two-Bit put some muscle behind the swat and watched as Pony squirmed a little. Okay, there was the strength to use. Two-Bit had seen Darry take Pony to task plenty and the kid was always pretty squirmy. </p><p>"Ow, Two-Bit!" Pony complained after Two-Bit had delivered several good smacks, "That hurts!"</p><p>"No shit, kid," Two-Bit responded, continuing to slap his kid brother's backside, "Would be a pretty stupid punishment if it didn't."</p><p>"Stop! You're doing it too hard!" Pony whined. Two-Bit responded by landing a couple of hard whacks to Pony's legs.</p><p>"Hey, don't get mouthy," Two-Bit said, "I know you wouldn't act like this for Darry or Sodapop and I'm not gonna take it either."</p><p>"Sorry," Ponyboy mumbled, but Two-Bit knew he was still annoyed. Clearly the kid hadn't been planning on getting a real spanking.</p><p>"I told you I was gonna tan you good and I meant it," Two-Bit said, moving back to smacking Pony's butt, "You did something dumb and now you're paying for it. You dig?" </p><p>"Yes, Two-Bit."</p><p>"Good. Now, why don't you remind me why you ain't supposed to be hanging out with the Shepard boys alone," Two-Bit said.</p><p>"Ah, 'cause I don't use my head when I'm with them and follow whatever Curly does."</p><p>"Yeah, and you sure showed that today," Two-Bit said, "I mean, going down by the river? Really, Pone? You know that nothing good happens down there. Last time I was there, the fuzz showed up and we all ended up getting jailed. Darry had to bail me out and boy was he pissed. Practically whupped my ass into next week."</p><p>"Yessir," Pony said, but with a bit of a whine in his voice. </p><p>Two-Bit spanked for another minute before he noticed that his hand was starting to sting. He decided to check the damage, snagging two fingers in the bottom of Pony's briefs and pulling them up on one side enough to see that Pony's butt was getting pretty pink.</p><p>"Two-Bit!" Pony complained. From Pony's tone and the color of his butt, Two-Bit knew they still had a ways to go.</p><p>"Oh hush, I've seen your bare ass over your brother's knee plenty of times," Two-Bit responded, but he let go of the kid's underwear. He looked around for anything within reach to continue the spanking with. Not seeing anything in reach, his eyes settled on the rubber spatula sitting in the drying rack. </p><p>"Hop up," Two-Bit said, tapping Pony's butt. He felt Pony sigh in relief and he almost felt bad for the kid. </p><p>"Go get me that spatula," Two-Bit said once the kid had stood up, pointing toward the drying rack.</p><p>"What? Noooo! I already learned my lesson." Pony pouted. Two-Bit smacked him once on the leg. </p><p>"It's that or I go get one of Darry's belts." Two-Bit said sternly. God what had happened to him? Usually he was the one pleading with Darry to reduce his sentence. </p><p>"Yessir," Pony sighed, reluctantly dragging himself across the kitchen to grab the spatula. He held the thing out to Two-Bit like a snake that might bite him. Two-Bit knew the feeling. He hated when Darry made him go fetch whatever he was gonna get whacked with.</p><p>"Back over," Two-Bit said, settling Pony back across his lap. Wanting to get the spanking over with, Two-Bit immediately started smacking with the spatula. </p><p>"Oww," Pony yelped at the first swat, squirming to get away from the next. Two-Bit had to force himself to continue. Darry had popped him with the spatula before and Two-Bit knew it smarted. He kept smacking the squirming butt over his knee until he could practically feel the heat coming off of it. </p><p>"Glory, Ponyboy, I hate doing this to you, but you gotta get some sense," Two-Bit lectured, "Do you wanna get jailed or sent to a boy's home? 'Cause that's what could happen if you go along with whatever trouble the Shepard boys are causing. I mean, Curly just got out of the reformatory for fuck's sake."</p><p>"I'm sorry," Ponyboy said, and Two-Bit could tell he was crying now, but he forced himself to keep bringing the spatula down. Jesus, how did Darry do this to them all the time? He wanted nothing more than to break the damn spatula into pieces, but he knew he had to make his point loud and clear. It would kill him if Pony got hurt because he didn't make a strong enough point. When he didn't tell Darry that Pony was sick before the big rumble, and Pony ended up in the hospital, Two-Bit was inconsolable. He felt like he had done a lousy job as a big brother that day. </p><p>"You do this again, and I'm gonna whale the tar out of you and then turn you over to Darry. Savvy?" </p><p>"Woooon't," Pony cried and squirmed even harder than before. Two-Bit could hear the desperation in the kid's voice and knew it was time to wrap it up. Moving aside the kids underwear again, Two-Bit could see that Pony's butt was glowing red at this point.  </p><p>"Almost done now, kid," Two-Bit said before planting three hard smacks to each of Pony's legs before tossing the spatula clear across the room. </p><p>"Alright, Pone, it's over," Two-Bit said, rubbing the kid's back. God he felt like shit for doing this to Pony. After a minute, Ponyboy pushed himself off Two-Bit's lap. He looked so much younger standing there in his briefs, wiping at his red eyes with one hand, rubbing his backside with the other. </p><p> "C'mon, kiddo," Two-Bit said, standing up and crooking a finger at Pony.</p><p>"What? No! No more!" Pony said, starting to tear up again</p><p>"Oh no, baby, no more. We're just gonna go sit in Darry's chair a while. Isn't that what Darry and Soda do after you've been whupped?" Pony visibly relaxed and nodded, following Two-Bit into the living room. Two-Bit  switched on the TV for some distraction before taking a seat and pulling Ponyboy to sit in his lap, wrapping his arms around the kid. It had been a long time since Pony had sat in his lap, not since he was a little kid and they would just pass him around, but Two-Bit had to admit it felt nice to hold him. Two-Bit needed comfort as much as Ponyboy in that moment. </p><p>"Sorry, Two-Bit. Won't do it again," Pony mumbled into his chest after a minute.</p><p>"I know, kiddo. Leave the stupid stunts to me, okay?" Two-Bit said, smiling at Pony. </p><p>"Yeah, okay," Pony agreed. The two sat in companionable silence for a bit, watching some crappy TV show. Two-Bit felt as if he could just about doze off when Dally and Johnny came bursting through the door. </p><p>"Uh oh, what'd the kid do now?" Dally smirked. Ponyboy was only ever on someone's lap after he'd been spanked. </p><p>"Caught him heading down to the river with some of Shepard's men," Two-Bit replied, ignoring Pony's glare. </p><p>"Glory, Pony, you said you were goin' to the library," Johnny said.</p><p>"Jesus, kid!" Two-Bit scolded, smacking Pony on the side of his bare leg. </p><p>"Hey! What'd you do that for?"</p><p>"Don't lie to your friends," Two-Bit said sternly before ruffling the kid's hair to let him know that he wasn't mad. He chuckled when he saw Johnny mouth 'sorry' at Ponyboy.</p><p>"Did old Two-Bit here whup you too hard? Need me to take him outside and kick his ass?" Dally teased and Two-Bit rolled his eyes.</p><p>"He got exactly what he deserved," Two-Bit said, dismissing Dally, "We're gonna keep this between us, though. No reason for Darry to find out and go ballistic."</p><p>"Didn't you just say not to lie to your friends?" Johnny asked him, with a look to purposefully innocent to be sincere.</p><p>"He learned to be a wise ass from you, you know," Two-Bit said, looking at Dally. </p><p>"I have no idea what you're talking about," Dally replied.</p><p>"Alright, kiddo, go put some pants on before Darry gets home and sees your ass looking like a tomato," Two-Bit said, turning his attention to Ponyboy. Ponyboy hopped off of Two-Bits lap and went to retrieve his discarded pants. He didn't want give up the comfort of having Ponyboy on his lap, but he knew Darry would find it awfully suspicious if he came home to that. Instead, he shooed Dally and Johnny off the couch and sat down, letting Ponyboy rest on his side and lean against him. They were all pretty used to laying on top of one another so Two-Bit didn't think Darry would find it too suspicious. </p><p>Later that night, Darry took Two-Bit aside and asked him, "Any idea why Pony was squirming at dinner? I didn't spank him and Soda says he didn't either."</p><p>"Uh, no, Dar, no idea." Two-Bit said, hoping Darry would buy it.</p><p>"Two-Bit," Darry said sternly, raising his eyebrows. Jesus, Two-Bit had just hours before been on the other end of this type of conversation. </p><p>"Yeah, I whupped him earlier," Two-Bit mumbled</p><p>"I assume you struck up some kinda deal not to tell me?" God damn, how does Darry know everything?</p><p>"Yeah, but--" </p><p>"Relax, I already know all about the trouble Pony got into. Ran into one Mr. Curly Shepard on my way home from work. Seems Pony left one of his books behind and wanted me to give it to him. Said that when you'd picked him up from the Dingo as they were headed to the river."</p><p>"Why didn't you read him the riot act when you got home?"</p><p>"Oh believe me, I wanted to, but I noticed he was walking funny. I've tanned Pony enough times to recognize his just-been-spanked walk. Figured it was Sodapop, but he said he hadn't spanked him. I put the pieces together from there."</p><p>"You mad at me for keeping it from you?"</p><p>"Nah, from the way he was squirming, it seems like you handled it good," Darry said, "I'm impressed, kid. This time last year you probably would've just went down to the river him and got yourselves both in trouble. I kinda wish you would've told me afterward, but I can appreciate you not wanting to rat on him. You can be a pain in my ass sometimes, but you're a good big brother to the boys."</p><p>Two-Bit's face lit up at that. After how bad he'd been feeling after tanning Pony, he really needed the reassurance that he'd done right by the kid.</p><p>He never ever <em>ever</em> wanted to do that again, though. </p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Just Like the Rest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When he saw the look on Darry's face, Dally knew he was in for it. He'd be lucky if Darry didn't beat him to a pulp. If Darry had one rule for his house, it was no guns, but Dally was never much into following rules. The whole thing was stupid, really. Dally had yawned and stretched, causing his shirt to ride up and Darry to see what he had tucked into his front waistband. He immediately knew he'd messed up and yanked his shirt down to try to hide the heater.</p><p>"Out," Darry ordered, pointing at the front door.</p><p>"Hey, easy man," Dally said, putting his hands up in front of him, "It ain't even loaded."</p><p>"Dallas, so help me God, if you're not out of that door in ten seconds, I'll beat your head in," Darry said. Dally went to protest, but before he could Darry grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and dragged him out the front door, slamming it behind him as he went. He practically threw Dallas off the porch and onto the lawn.</p><p>"If you wanna act like a hood, go do it somewhere else. You ain't coming back into my house anytime soon," Darry said, pointing toward the street.</p><p>"Aw, lay off it, man," Dallas complained, "You knew I was a hood from the moment you met me."</p><p>"You stay away from here, Dallas Winston, I mean it," Darry said, wagging his finger, "And stay away from the boys."</p><p>"For how long?" Making him stay out of the house was one thing, but keeping him away from his brothers? He knew they'd come see him anyway, but it would involve a great deal of sneaking around and risking trouble with Darry. </p><p>"Till I no longer feel like kicking your teeth in."</p><p>"That ain't fucking fair!" Dally exploded, "If I was Johnny or Two-Bit or Steve, you wouldn't be kicking me out. But I'm just a no good JD, huh? Some dirty hood without a chance?"</p><p>"If you was one of them, I'd take you to the garage and tan the skin off your behind," Darry said, "And you know what, Dallas? If I didn't think you'd pull a blade on me if I tried it, I'd tan you too."</p><p>"Like hell you will! Just 'cause the boys are dumb enough to bend over and let you whip them doesn't mean I am." Dally had seen Darry pop most of the other guys before, heard the smacks from the next room when Darry was delivering a beat down, but had yet to feel it himself. Not that he didn't fuck up. He probably got into more shit than all the other guys combined, but he didn't go running to Darry to solve his problems and let him take a belt to his ass for it. Maybe if he'd let Darry get involved, he would've spent less nights in jail and gotten less beatings from the Shepard gang and the Brumly boys, but there was no way in hell he was gonna do that. Man had to have his pride after all. </p><p>"If the boys don't like the way I'm running things, they can leave, same as you. They know that," Darry said calmly, which pissed Dally off even more, "But they trust me to do right by them. And if giving them a sore butt every now and then keeps them safe, you bet your ass I'm gonna do it."</p><p>"Oh go to hell, man," Dally said. Who did Darry think he was? Some kinda savior to all greasers, stopping them from becoming hoods? The rest of the gang might believe that but Dally sure as shit didn't. </p><p>"You know what, Dally, you're right. I shouldn't treat you any different than the rest. If you wanna come back inside, me and you gotta spend some time in the garage first. "</p><p>"Fuck you Darry! I don't need you and your goddamn house!" Dally yelled, clenching his hand into a fist.</p><p>"Don't even try it, little man," Darry warned, "I'll have you flat on your back in a second and you know it."</p><p>Damnit, Dally did know it. Darry was bigger and stronger and a better fighter. A part of him wanted to challenge Darry just so Darry could beat on him a little bit and he'd drop this whole whupping thing. Sure, it would hurt more, but he had to have his dignity. That's the way Shepard disciplined his men and the way all the other gangs he knew did it. Some good punches and maybe a few cracked ribs. That was a language Dally could understand. But at that moment, Dally was too pissed at the idea of being treated like some kid to let Darry have a shot at him. </p><p>"Go fuck yourself, Curtis," Dally muttered to himself as he stomped off of Darry's property, "Arrogant son of a bitch. Who does he think he is?"</p><p>Dally didn't even know where he was headed as he stormed away from the house. All he knew is that he just really needed to hit something.  And since, he couldn't hit Darry, the telephone pole would have to do.</p>
<hr/><p>Darry was surprised to hear a knock on the front door. Nobody ever knocked, they just walked right in. </p><p>He went from surprised to downright shocked when he opened the door and there stood Dallas Winston. It had only been four or so hours since the kid stormed out. Darry was sure he wouldn't see the kid for days, if not weeks. </p><p>"What're you doing here, Dallas?" </p><p>"I wanna come back in."</p><p>"You get rid of that gun?"</p><p>"Yeah, gave it back to the Brumly guy who I got it from."</p><p>"Good. You know we gotta have a conversation first, right?" Darry asked, suspicious that the kid was willing to give in so easily.   </p><p>"Yeah, man," Dally said, wringing at his hands a bit.</p><p>"Jesus Christ, who'd you hit?" Darry asked, noticing the kid's busted knuckles.</p><p>"Nobody. Telephone poll took a good beating though," Dally shrugged.</p><p>"Well, c'mon, we gotta fix up your hand before we do anything else," Darry sighed.</p><p>"It ain't so bad," Dally protested. </p><p>"Now ain't the time to be getting mouthy," Darry said, moving aside to let Dallas into the house. Dally huffed but walked past him into the kitchen.</p><p>"Sit," Darry ordered, pointing to the kitchen table, before grabbing the first aid kit out of the cabinet. Coming back to the table, he took the kid's hand and started feeling around at all the joints. Lord knows they'd dealt with enough busted hands in the family that Darry knew what to do.</p><p>"After we're done here, I'm gonna give you a strapping for bringing a gun into this house and you ain't gonna fight me on it. Understood?" Darry said firmly. Once he was fairly confident that nothing was broken or dislocated, he got to work removing any splinters from Dally's hand.</p><p>"Yeah, I got it." Darry still couldn't believe this. He didn't want to kick the kid out forever, but he honestly wasn't sure Dally would ever accept the whupping. </p><p>"This is what we're doing from now on. I know you think it's not tough to bend over for a whipping, but that's the way I handle discipline here. You don't like the it, you're free to go join Shepard's outfit, but I can tell you this: his men get away with a lot more shit, but when Tim does give it to them, it ain't pretty," Darry lectured. He'd seen Tim beating on his men before and he knew he'd never do that to his boys. Darry just wasn't like that. He was a big brother first, gang leader second. </p><p>"I think of you as a kid brother just like the rest," Darry continued, "I know you won't stand for somebody running your life for you and as much as I'd love to try to keep you out of trouble, I know you won't let me. But if you're not gonna let me do my job as your big brother, you're at least gonna have to let me to my job as the leader of this outfit. You know the big rules, no heaters, no drugs, nothing illegal at all in here." He poured some hydrogen peroxide onto a piece of gauze and cleaned Dally's knuckles with it. Last thing the kid needed was an infection. </p><p>"Yeah Dar, I know," Dally said. Darry wished that the kid would let himself be looked after, but that was a challenge for another day. Darry's job right now was to uphold law and order. </p><p>"You don't get any of the other boys involved in shit. If you wanna act like a hood, that's your business, but if I have to whip any of the boys for something you were involved with, I'm whipping you too. You can storm out all you want, but if you wanna come back in, you gotta let me deal with you as I see fit. Savvy?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"i also want you to know that you can always call me to get you out of trouble, but there's gonna be consequences. That's what big brothers are for. If you get jailed, you can either stay in there till they let you out, or I can bail you out and take you to the garage. Same goes with gang shit. If you get into it with Shepard's outfit, you know I'll back you up. Timmy and I made a deal a long time ago to let each other handle our own boys as long as debts are paid. So if you need me to get you out of trouble with Tim or anyone else, I'll be there in a second, but you can expect trouble with me."</p><p>The deal Darry had made with Tim came from the day he found Curly drinking with Ponyboy and Johnny. Curly had fessed up that he'd gotten it from his sister. The creep at the liquor store was sweet on her apparently and let her buy booze even though she didn't look anywhere near 21. Darry was about ready to break a foot off in the kid's ass, but seeing as Curly was only 14 at the time, he brought the boy home to Tim. Tim could give it good to his men, but he was more like Darry when it came to dealing with his little brother and sister. Darry and Tim had agreed then to let each other deal out their own discipline. The few times Soda or Steve or Two-Bit got into it with the Shepards, Darry always took up for them and Tim would stand down. He wished Dally would let him help out, but he knew Dally and Tim were good buddies, cut from the same cloth, and sometimes they had to beat the crap out of each other to get it out of their systems.</p><p>"Alright, man," Dally replied.</p><p>"I care about you, kid, I do, and I wish you would see that you're not too far gone to be taken care of. Hopefully one day you'll come to terms with that. But for now, as long as you stay in line enough that it doesn't get any of the boy's into trouble, you're welcome here."</p><p>Dally didn't say anything and looked away from Darry toward his now bandaged hand. Darry figured the kid was pretty uncomfortable hearing that he was cared about. Well, Darry was pretty uncomfortable saying it. He'd never been good at expressing his feelings, but after a few stern talking-tos from Sodapop, he was trying to get better.</p><p>"Well, I'm done lecturing, but I gotta ask, what made you come back?" Darry asked, "Figured you'd be fuming for days." </p><p>"Ran into Johnny. Was supposed to go to the barrel races with him tomorrow. Told him no, but the little shit gave me those sad eyes. Plus, I don't want him and your kid brother thinking it's tuff to fuck around with heaters. Those idiots would probably shoot themselves in the foot. "</p><p>Of course it was Johnny. Darry should've known. Dally only truly loved one thing in this world and it was Johnny, but apparently he had a soft spot for Ponyboy too.  The kid liked to pretend that he didn't care about nothing or nobody, but it was clear that deep down, he did care about the gang. Dally didn't show it in outward signs of affection, but he was Darry noticed it in little ways. Like how his eyes blazed every time Steve's old man kicks him out. Or how he'd smack Johnny upside the head when he talked down about himself. Or the way he took the fall for Two-Bit over the busted windows incident. The kid was impulsive, hot heated, too tough for his own good, but he was also loyal as hell and fiercely protective. </p><p>"Well, I think you made the right choice," Darry said, "You and me got a score to settle and then we can put this behind us." He didn't give Dallas much chance to react as he grabbed him by the upper arm and started leading him to the garage. Once there, he let go of the kid's arm and grabbed the saw horse from the side of the garage and moved it into the middle before throwing some old cloth tarps over it for padding. Normally, he'd make the offender do that part, but he knew that Dally's obedience only went so far. Plus, Dally really wasn't gonna like what he said next.</p><p>"Alright, drop your jeans and shorts and bend over."</p><p>"What? No fucking way!" Dallas argued.</p><p>"I told you I'd treat the just the same as I treat the rest. Whippings are done bare so I can see what I'm doing. And I don't tolerate any lip during a punishment. You've just earned yourself a few extras and trust me when I say this, you don't want any more."</p><p>Dally stared him down for a moment before huffing and dropping his pants down to his ankles. He bent over the sawhorse and then pulled his briefs down just below his butt.</p><p>"Shorts down to your knees," Darry said, "Either you do it or I do it." Darry would've just yanked the other boys' underwear down, but he was trying to give Dally space to process what was happening. Dally glared at him but reached back and pulled his briefs down further. Darry unbuckled his belt, pulling it out of the loops and doubling it over in his hands. </p><p>"You sure you don't wanna just sock me and get it over with?" Dally muttered. Darry couldn't help but snort. His boys had tried a lot of ways to get out of a whupping but asking him to punch them wasn't one of them.</p><p>"Nope," Darry replied simply, bringing the belt down firmly on the kid's backside. Darry hated using the belt, hated delivering a whipping. If he had to punish them, he always preferred having the boys over his knee and using his hand, but that wouldn't work here. For one, fucking around with a gun deserved more than just a little spanking. Plus, he knew bending over the sawhorse was challenge enough for Dally's pride. The kid would've balked at the idea of going over Darry's knee. </p><p>Dally remained stoic as Darry whupped him. Darry could understand that reaction. He too had always tried to stay quiet when his Dad whipped him. Part of the reason why Darry made the kid take his pants down was that he knew he couldn't go off of Dally's reactions to tell when he'd had enough. Ponyboy would be crying by the beginning and Two-Bit would be hollering early on, but Steve would try to keep his composure until the bitter end. Darry learned to go by the color of their backsides instead of their responses. Darry was gonna make sure Dally's butt was bright red before he let him go. </p><p>Darry made one trip with the belt from the top of Dally's butt to the top of his thighs before starting over at the top. By the time Darry reached the middle of the kid's butt a second time, Dally started to stomp on the ground a little with each smack. Darry put his hand on Dally's back for comfort but kept bringing the belt down as hard as before. On the third round, Dally let out a small grunt of pain. The kid's ass was bright red by then. Darry finished that trip on the kid's butt before paying some attention to his sit spots. </p><p>Darry noticed the kid's shoulders start to shake and he wasn't surprised. Dally had been hurt much worse than that in a fight, they all had, without shedding a tear. But in a fight, adrenaline is pumping and the pain doesn't really set in till later. With a whipping, all you could focus on was you and the belt. </p><p>"You ever bring a gun in here again, and I'll spank you every night for a week. Not whup, spank," Darry threatened. He knew Dally could handle pain but he hoped that the threat to his pride would keep him in line. Bringing down the belt hard four times in a row right where the kid sat down, he made sure that Dally wouldn't be sitting easy for a while.</p><p>"Alright, two extras for giving me lip and cussing at me when we first started and then we're done," Darry said, before giving two good licks to the middle of the kid's thighs. Extras were always given to the legs. </p><p>"Gah," Dally cried out in pain, throwing his hand back to shield his legs. Darry was glad they were done so he didn't have to give the kid any more for trying to block. He started rubbing Dally's back, wincing when he felt the kid tense up under his hand. </p><p>"Take your time and come up when you want," Darry said, "I'd like to give you a hug if you'll let me."</p><p>"Can't you let me lick my wounds in private?" Dally complained once he'd caught his breath, yanking his pants and underwear back up. </p><p>"Not until I know you're alright," Darry responded. When Dally stood up, he looked younger than usual. The tough hood was gone and replaced was a red-eyed punk who'd just had his backside handed to him by his big brother. He looked like he wasn't sure what to do next. </p><p>"You hungry? I think Sodapop's making spaghetti," Darry said, trying to give the kid a sense of normalcy.</p><p>"Yeah, I could eat," Dally responded with a small smile. Darry took the opportunity to sling one arm around Dallas' shoulders before leading him out of the garage and back toward the house where he belonged. </p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Running Wild</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AU- Darry slaps Pony and he runs away, but Johnny talks him into going home. The later events in the book don't happen because my poor heart can't handle it.</p><p>These stories are not in chronological order. I'm just kinda just writing them as I think of them.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sodapop could barely take it anymore. Darry was practically collapsing in on himself and Ponyboy was being mouthier and more reckless than ever. The kid had broken curfew two nights ago, and when Soda said he couldn't go out the next night as punishment, he snuck out! Darry hadn't done a thing about any of it. Soda usually deferred to Darry but this had gotta stop. The gang had, thankfully, been smart enough to stay out of any big trouble while they sorted out whatever this was, but Ponyboy had apparently not gotten the memo. </p><p>"Ponyboy Curtis, go to your room," Soda ordered after Pony got fresh with Darry for what felt like the thousandth time that day.</p><p>"Screw you, Soda!" Ponyboy snapped back. Soda was taken aback. Usually Pony got in fights with Darry, and he'd been pretty mouthy with Soda this week, but this level of outright defiance was new. </p><p>"Go. To. Your. Room. Right. Now," Soda said, grabbing him by the arm and popping him with every word. He released him and a teary-eyed Ponyboy ran right off into their room, slamming the door behind him.</p><p>"Aren't you gonna say anything? Do anything? Kid's gone off the deep end recently." Soda said incredulously, turning to Darry, who was sitting in the armchair with his head in his hands.</p><p>"What can I do Soda? He's terrified of me. You saw him that night."</p><p>"He's not terrified of you. He's just pissed. It'll probably take him a while to get over it, but that doesn't mean you can let him run wild in the meantime," Soda said, amazed that he even had to explain this to Darry. Usually, he was arguing with Darry to lay off Pony, but his big brother had gone the complete opposite way this week.</p><p>"How can I possibly discipline him if I don't know if I'm gonna blow up?" Darry asked putting his head back in his hands.</p><p>"Darry, listen to me," Soda said, coming to sit next to his brother, "In the eight months that you've been raising us, this is the first time you've ever done this. Ponyboy has given you so much lip and put himself danger so many times that it's a wonder you didn't smack him sooner. Honestly, it's a wonder you haven't smacked all of us. Yeah, you've got a temper, but you're doing good at keeping a hold of it."</p><p>"I just feel like I'm doing a bad job. Dad didn't yell nearly as much as I do," Darry sighed, "It's just that I get so scared sometimes when he doesn't use his head and all I want to do is holler at him."</p><p>"Darry, you're not even 21 yet. You gotta cut yourself some slack. You didn't expect to be raising two kids and looking after four more. I know I argue with you about being too hard on Pony, but that's my job. This parenting thing is hard but I think you're doing real good. Even if you won't let your kid brother tell you what to do with your other kid brother," Soda said, smirking a little at the end.</p><p>"How'd you get so wise all of a sudden?"</p><p>"Well, when you seemed to forget how to use your head this week, I guess I remembered how to use mine."</p><p>"God, I wish Mom and Dad were here so neither of us had to be wise," Darry replied, his face dropping again, "Dad would've whaled the tar out of me if he was here. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so damn guilty."</p><p>Soda didn't say anything. He had an uncomfortable feeling that he knew where this was going.</p><p>"I think you should whup me," Darry said after a moment of silence, "I screwed up, big time. I lost my temper. I yelled at both of you, even though you didn't do anything, and worst of all I hit  Ponyboy. What I did could've torn this family apart. If I do it again, it will. I need to know this won't happen again."</p><p>"You won't do it again. I know you won't," Soda replied. There was no way in hell he was gonna whup his big brother's ass. No way, no how.</p><p>"Even so, I gotta own up to my mistakes. I would've whipped you if you'd slapped him."</p><p>"But you're like the grown up here," Soda argued. Gee, just a minute ago Darry had said he was wise and now this is all he could come up with?</p><p>"That's why I should be punished even more severely. I want you to whip me and I want you to do it with Dad's strap."</p><p>"What? No! I didn't even know we still had that thing." Their Dad had whupped Soda with the strap once after he'd cussed out his mom and Soda thought he'd never sit down again.</p><p>"Relax, I'm not planning on using it on you. But like you said, I'm the grown up here. I need to do better."</p><p>"Damnit, Darry, aren't you always complaining how hard it is to punish us? I sure know it's hard to spank Pony even when he really deserves it and that ain't even with the strap."</p><p>"I know, little buddy, but I'm asking you to do this for me. If you really don't wanna, I'll try and get Two-Bit to do it. Or maybe Shepard would like to take it out on my ass after we whupped their outfit last month," Darry said with a little grin, but Soda could tell he was faking it.</p><p>"No, don't do that," Soda sighed, before Darry could get any other crazy ideas.</p><p>"That mean you'll do it?"</p><p>"I guess so," Soda sighed, "But then you gotta get your head on straight and deal with Ponyboy."</p><p>"Deal."</p>
<hr/><p>Darry reached into the bottom drawer of the tool chest and grabbed the strap. The thick piece of leather had been once upon at time wielded by their grandfather and was later passed down to their father. Their dad had told them the stories of his childhood mischief and how he'd gotten taken out to the woodshed for it. Apparently Grandpa was a heavier handed than their own father, who only used the strap for the most serious offenses. It seemed fitting in his case. Darry knew that slapping Ponyboy had to be the worst thing he'd ever done.</p><p>The strap felt heavy his hands and although he knew he deserved it, Darry was not looking forward to getting reacquainted with it. His dad had used it twice, once when he was fifteen and stumbled in drunk at three in the morning, and again when he was seventeen and was brought home by the cops for drag racing. It wasn't the last time he'd gotten whupped, that happened about three months before his parents died, but his Dad had used the belt then. He'd sworn then that it was the last time he'd need a whupping but here they were. He handed the strap over to Sodapop who grimaced so much you would've thought it was about to be used on him.</p><p>As Darry pulled the sawhorse to the middle of the garage and threw the tarps over it, he could see Soda taking a few practice swings with the strap. Soda had never used the belt on anyone, and had only spanked Pony with the spoon a handful of times. Darry hated making him do this but it had to be done.</p><p>"You can leave your underwear up," Soda said, as Darry was pushing his jeans down.</p><p>"Soda, no, it's gotta be bare," Darry replied, turning toward Soda, who glared back at him</p><p>"Darry Curtis, you are not in charge here.  If I say they're staying up, they're staying up. The strap is gonna hurt plenty over your shorts."</p><p>"Yes sir," Darry replied, with a little smirk toward his brother. He was certainly not used to Soda bossing him around, but the kid was right. Soda was in charge and Darry ought to do what he was told. He bent over with his torso on the tarps and grabbed hold of the bottom beam. God, he'd forgotten how embarrassing it was to bend over with your ass high in the air. </p><p>"What are you getting whupped for?" Soda questioned. </p><p>"Losing my temper and hitting Ponyboy," Darry said, ashamed at himself. </p><p>"And?" Soda asked. Darry turned around to shoot a questioning look at his brother. </p><p>"And letting Pony run buck wild this week," Soda explained, "Feeling guilty doesn't mean you stop being a parent."</p><p>God, Darry had to hold back tears at that. Hearing the stern words from Soda felt like a punch to the gut. And to think, just ten minutes ago, Soda was arguing that Darry didn't need a whupping. For as reluctant as he was, Soda was plenty stern now. </p><p>"I'm sorry, little buddy."</p><p>"Not me you should be apologizing to," Soda said, "I know you've apologized up and down for smacking him, but you let him down these last few days. After this, you're gonna apologize to Pony, explain that you got your butt whupped, and then take him to task for everything that he's been doing this week."</p><p>"Yes, Sodapop," Darry said, getting choked up. Damn, Ponyboy was supposed to be the one that started bawling before a punishment, not him. Well, usually Ponyboy was crying about how much his butt was about to hurt, not guilt. That came later. Darry wasn't exactly thrilled about what was going to happen, but he hoped the pain in his ass would help relieve the knot in his stomach. </p><p>"Hold tight," Soda said, and a second later Darry heard the whoosh-crack of the strap before feeling the strip of fire left on his ass. He flinched despite himself. Soda was good at this! Darry gripped the handrail and locked his knees, forcing himself to stay still as possible. He didn't need to be squirming all around and make this harder on Sodapop. Darry felt the strap land over and over on his backside in no particular pattern. After ten smacks, he felt like yelling out, but he bit down on his lower lip to stop himself. Darry lost track soon after that but kept reminding himself that he deserved this whipping. After a while, the licks stopped and Darry saw Soda's feet walking around to the other side of the sawhorse. </p><p>"Darrel Shayne, are you biting your lip?" Soda asked sternly, squatting down to come face to face with Darry and grabbing his chin. Darry released his lip from his teeth and immediately tasted blood! Damnit, he'd bit a hole in his lip.</p><p>"You know, if you wanna act tough, I might as well bring all the boys out here to watch. See how tough you are then."</p><p>"Sorry, Soda. I'll stop," Darry acquiesced. Soda looked at him for a second more before letting go of his chin and standing back up. </p><p>"You don't need to brave for me," Soda said, softening his tone a bit, "I can take it. Go ahead and holler. Get it out of your system." </p><p>"Yessir," Darry said, so miserable he hardly even realized that he'd just called his little brother sir without a hint of sarcasm. This time, when Soda landed the strap on his ass, Darry let out an immediate yelp. From then on, the floodgates were open and Darry hissed and moaned at almost every smack. He wished he could just let himself cry, purge all the guilt and regret he was feeling, but he just couldn't manage. His ass was burning something fierce by the time Sodapop paused again. </p><p>"Stand up a sec," Soda said. Darry was confused at the order but obeyed. Once he was standing, Darry felt Soda tug him back a bit. It wasn't until his kid brother propped himself up against the sawhorse and grabbed onto his arm, that Darry knew what was happening. Darry let Soda bend him over his knee with his torso again supported by the horse, pulled tight against Soda's body. He felt Soda wrap one arm around his middle before pulling his boxers down to his knees. Darry was surprised to have his boxers pulled down after the fight Soda put up before, but he figured Soda had finally realized that he deserved to feel the strap on his bare ass. He braced himself for another sharp lick of the strap but the next thing he felt was unmistakable sensation of skin hitting skin. Sodapop was spanking him!</p><p>"You are not going to raise your hand in anger <em>ever again,</em>" Sodapop said, bringing his hand down faster than he had the strap and landed two extra hard pops at the end, "You will not sit around wallow in your guilt."</p><p>"Yessir," Darry said, surprised at how wet his voice sounded. He reached up and felt wetness spilling from his eyes. </p><p>"We all make mistakes but we learn from them and we move on." Darry would laugh if he wasn't so miserable. He'd said those exact words to Soda many times before. </p><p>"You don't have to be Superman all the time. It's okay to walk away sometimes or to ask for help," Soda said, his tone softer than before, and maybe a little sniffly, but his hand still coming down rapid fire. The combination made the damn burst and soon Darry was wailing like a kid over his little brother's knee. He felt Soda's hand smack down even faster on the bottom part of his butt, a move Darry himself often used to finish up, before stopping and easing Darry's boxers back up. Darry knew he wouldn't be sitting easy for a long while. </p><p>"Alright, easy, you're okay," Soda said, but Darry kept crying. The guilt had been eating him up the last few days, and the fear of failing much longer. As he cried himself out, he felt lighter than he had in a long time. Once he'd gotten ahold of himself, Darry pushed himself up off of Soda's lap. </p><p>"You got a mean arm on you, little buddy," Darry said, "Don't know why Pony thinks you're the softer option."</p><p>"Hey, you asked for it," Soda said, "You okay now?"</p><p>"Yeah, thanks, kiddo," Darry said, wrapping his arms around his brother. He knew that had been hard on Soda, but it needed to be done. After they let go, Darry reached down and pulled his pants back up, but left them unbuttoned, palming at his backside to try to rub some of the sting out.  </p><p>"No rubbing," Soda said, and Darry sent him an incredulous look. Darry only told his brothers not to rub their bottoms when they weren't done being punished yet, usually when they were sent to fetch an implement.</p><p>"I'm just messing with ya," Soda smirked.</p><p>"Oh I'll mess with you," Darry said, ignoring his protesting backside and trying to grab Soda in a headlock.</p><p>"Oh no you don't," Soda said, ducking out of his brother's grasp, "You've got a kid brother in there to deal with. I'm off duty."</p>
<hr/><p>Darry hated him. Ponyboy just knew it. Darry had said he was awfully sorry for hitting him and was being real nice to him, but it was like he didn't care anymore. Didn't yell when Pony came home late for curfew. Didn't swat him for giving attitude. It was like he just couldn't give a damn. And now Soda was getting on him all the time. He'd even popped Pony right in the living room! Everything was upside down. </p><p>"Ponyboy?" Darry asked knocking twice and sticking his head into the room.</p><p>"Go away," Pony said, rolling over on his bed so he was facing away from Darry.</p><p>"'Fraid I can't do that, kiddo," Darry said, coming in anyway. Huh? That was new. This whole week Pony had been telling Darry to leave and Darry had just listened, like he didn't even care enough to argue.</p><p>"Sit up and look at me, please," Darry said, patting Pony's back. Pony didn't say anything. </p><p>"Ponyboy, now," Darry said, more firmly this time, sounding like his old self. Usually, at this point Darry would either haul him up by the arm or start swatting.  Ponyboy still didn't move, wanting to see what would happen. He got his wish as Darry popped him once, hard. Ponyboy finally sat up, telling himself it was just to get his backside out of the line of fire, and glared at Darry something fierce. </p><p>"We gotta have a chat about all that's been going on," Darry started, gingerly sitting down next to Ponyboy on the bed, tucking his leg under his butt. Ponyboy looked at him curiously.</p><p>"Yeah, babe, I've got a sore butt," Darry said, answering Pony's unspoken question, "It was about time I got punished for hitting you."</p><p>"Who whupped you?" Ponyboy asked, shocked.</p><p>"Sodapop did, with Dad's strap, and let me tell you, you do not want to feel it," Darry said. Ponyboy already knew the strap was murder from Soda's recounting of his encounter with it.</p><p>"But it wasn't just for hitting you," Darry continued, "It was also for the way I acted this past week. I was acting so guilty and sorry that I forgot to take care of you. And I'm sorry for that."</p><p>"Whatever," Pony shrugged, chewing on his fingernail. He wasn't exactly glad that Darry had gotten whupped, but he did feel like his big brother deserved it. </p><p>"No, it's not whatever," Darry said, pulling Pony's hand away from his mouth, "I'm sorry for letting it get this far but you've got some owning up to do as well. All week you've been acting out. I don't know if it's because you're mad at me or you're trying to get my attention, but either way it stops now. Understood?"</p><p>Ponyboy just shrugged and looked away, still trying to see if Darry was serious or not.  Usually, anything less than a 'yessir' would have Darry throwing him over his knee. </p><p>"The attitude stops here as well," Darry said lifting Pony's chin so the kid had to look at him, "So does the coming in late for curfew, and sneaking out, and not minding me and Sodapop when we ask you to do stuff. Get me?"</p><p>"Yessir," Pony replied, knowing that he wouldn't get away with shrugging twice. He hadn't known that Darry knew about the sneaking out. Soda caught him coming back in and had sent him to bed, promising to tell Darry what happened and let him deal with it. When Darry didn't bring it up, Ponyboy thought maybe he didn't know. </p><p>"I'm gonna give you a spanking for all you've been doing this week," Darry continued, putting a finger up to stop Pony's protests, "Don't even try to tell me you don't deserve one. I'm letting you off for coming in late on Friday 'cause of how I reacted, but that doesn't mean you haven't earned yourself a spanking for the rest. By all rights, you've earned yourself several, but since I'm the one who let it get out of control, I'm gonna let you off with just one." </p><p>"But--"</p><p>"No buts, kiddo. You and I both know you earned this."</p><p>"Okay," Pony said, resisting the urge to shrug again. Usually by this time he'd be apologizing and promising to be good, but he was still annoyed at Darry. All he'd wanted was his big brother to fuss at him a little, prove he still cared. He certainly didn't want a spanking!</p><p>"Okay," Darry replied, sounding a little unsure of himself now that it was time for the punishment, "Stand up, then."</p><p>Ponyboy reluctantly did as he was told.  Darry was still sitting with his left leg tucked under him. Pony felt Darry take  his hip and shift him over so he was standing directly in front of his big brother. He squirmed when Darry reached for the button on his pants, making him feel like a little kid. Darry just ignored the squirming, unbuttoning Ponyboy's pants and tugging them down to his ankles. Ponyboy was surprised when after helping him step out of his jeans, Darry stood up as well.</p><p>"I'm sorry, kiddo, but I'm gonna need you to lay over your bed for this one," Darry said ruefully, "Don't think I can make it through this spanking sitting down." </p><p>'Figures, he'd wants to protect his own butt while he's about to beat mine,' Pony thought. A little voice in his head reminded him that Darry had gotten a whipping and was probably mighty sore, but Pony tried to ignore it. He didn't know if he was quite ready to forgive his big brother, but he did as he was told. Once he'd laid down flat on the bed, he felt Darry grab his waist and pull him as close to the edge of the bed as possible, slinging an arm over the kid's waist. Looking up from the mattress, Pony saw Darry kneeling beside him, holding him tight against his side.  Pony figured it was the most physical contact Darry could possibly give in that situation, and although he'd never admit it, Pony was glad for it.  He'd never been whipped out in the garage, but Darry had made him grab the seat of a kitchen chair for few pops of the spoon before. If he had to get spanked, he preferred it to be over Darry's knee, but he figured this was better than nothing.</p><p>"Ready?" Darry asked, pulling the kid's underwear down. Ponyboy squeezed his eyes shut when he felt the last of the protection being whisked away from his butt.</p><p>"Guess so," Pony mumbled, grabbing hold of the pillow in front of him. </p><p>"Alright," Darry said. Ponyboy tensed and waited for a hard smack. To his surprise, the one that came was pretty light.  It still stung, sure, but not like usual. Maybe Darry's swing was off in this position?</p><p>"Settle in, kiddo, because we got a lot to talk about," Darry said, continuing to swat Pony's butt. Ponyboy tried not to groan as he realized that Darry wasn't hitting too hard because they were in for the long haul.</p><p>"Let's start by talking about all the lip you've been giving," Darry began, "I should have stopped that before it began, but I didn't, and again I'm sorry. I understand you were pissed at me, but a lot of what you said was really over the line. You were raised better than to take cheap shots like that."</p><p>Ponyboy did feel a little bad about that. The first few days, he was just mad, and he meant it when he'd called Darry a jerk and a bully and everything else he could think of. When Darry let him get away with that, Ponyboy just kept going, trying to see how far he could push it. Every time he'd cuss him out and Darry wouldn't respond, Ponyboy got bolder. He kept trying to get a rise out of Darry, and every time Darry didn't react, he'd just get madder and say something even meaner.</p><p>"You do not get to mouth off to Sodapop just because you're mad at me."</p><p>"But you yelled at Soda when you were mad at me!" Pony cried, getting upset. It wasn't fair that Darry was punishing him for getting Soda involved when he did the same thing!</p><p>"And I'm sorry for that. I've been punished for losing my temper, but my mistakes don't give you the right to act badly. You've been back talking Soda all week and I especially didn't like how you were talking to him today,"</p><p>"Soda already spanked me for that!" Pony argued, his butt starting to really smart. </p><p>"He gave you a few pops. Cussing at him and disobeying him usually earn you more than that and you know it," Darry replied.</p><p>"Screw's not even really a cuss word," Pony muttered into his pillow, starting to squirm to get away from Darry's hand, but Darry had a firm hold on his torso.</p><p>"It is when you're being disrespectful," Darry said. "Now, I'm letting you argue with me because we've got a lot of misunderstandings to clear up here, but you will still be respectful. And next time you're being punished, we're not doing this. You savvy?"</p><p>"Yessir," Pony mumbled, not particularly wanting Darry to add more for disrespect. Even Darry's light swats were stinging now.</p><p>"I think you've been being fresh this week to try to get a rise out of me," Darry said, "Well, little buddy, you've got it. I love you way too much to let you grow up foul mouthed and rude."</p><p>Pony felt some of the tension he'd been carrying around all week dissipate at that. He'd gotten it well and good into his head that Darry just didn't care about him anymore. That Darry thought he wasn't worth his time. Even before that night, he'd been wondering if Darry thought he was too much trouble. Soda had said that Darry only fussed at him more than the others because he was the baby and Darry so badly wanted him to make something of himself, but Pony had had a hard time believing it. </p><p>"I don't like you back-talking me and Soda when we tell you to do stuff," Darry continued, his hand falling in an ever steady pace, "If you think something we ask of you is unreasonable, you can talk to us about it, but you gotta do it respectfully. You're not allowed to say no when Soda asks you to set the table or I tell you to turn off the TV. Mom and Dad never let us get away with disobedience and I'm not about to either."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, squirming at the thought of his parents. It was true, he would never have just said no when his mom or dad asked him to do something. </p><p>"When we tell you to do something, y<em>ou do as you're told,"</em> Darry repeated, emphasizing the second part of the statement with the first real good smacks of the spanking. </p><p>"I will!" Pony cried, the harder smacks smarting against his now stinging butt.</p><p>"You better," Darry said firmly, "Or you'll end up right here, every time. My kid brother will not turn into a brat under my watch."</p><p>"Yessir," Pony sighed, surprised that he actually did feel sorry for disobeying Darry this week. It seemed his big brother did care after all. </p><p>"Okay, now it's time to move onto the big stuff, " Darry said, "I know you're probably feeling pretty sorry but you're about to get a lot more sorry. I want you to tell me what happened the last couple nights. "</p><p>"Uh, I missed curfew on Thursday," Ponyboy began. Darry wasn't smacking any harder, but the smacks were getting faster and it took all Ponyboy had not to whine.</p><p>"Uh huh, you missed curfew for the second time this week. I mean, hell Ponyboy, you know how dangerous it is to be out too late. Me and Sodapop gotta be able to trust that you'll come in on time."</p><p>"But you didn't even care!" Ponyboy cried before he could even stop himself, "I stayed out too late and all you did was ignore me, like you'd given up on me."</p><p>Before he could realize what was happening, Ponyboy had been pulled to his feet. Darry sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling Ponyboy onto his lap, his sore butt on Darry's knee. </p><p>"Let me make one thing clear to you, Ponyboy Curtis, I will NEVER give up on you. I'm sorry you thought I didn't care. I was too pissed at myself for hitting you and I was afraid to scare you any further by getting on you, but that don't mean I didn't care. I was worried sick when you didn't come home, both times. I didn't know till this morning that you'd snuck out, but believe me, if I did, I would've been pacing the floor till you got home."</p><p>"You would've?" Pony said, realizing that he was now crying. </p><p>"Yes, kiddo. I love you just as much as always. I'm real sorry that I didn't show it this week."</p><p>"I love you too, Dar," Ponyboy said, shifting around on Darry's lap so he could burrow himself into his brother's chest. Darry let him stay there, just holding him, until he finished crying. Pony vaguely realized that Darry's butt was probably stinging something awful, sitting on the bed, and that just made him cry harder. </p><p>"You ready to finish up, honey?" Darry said, when Pony's breathing started to even out again.</p><p>"Can't we just call this lesson learned?" Ponyboy tried with a hesitant smile. </p><p>"Nice try. You've still gotta answer for breaking curfew and sneaking out. What kind of big brother would I be if I let you get away with that?" Darry asked, with a hint of teasing to his tone. Ponyboy sighed but let Darry maneuver him so he was over his big brother's knees. Pony felt kinda bad that this position couldn't be comfortable for Darry, but he wanted the comfort too much to protest. </p><p>"Alright, kiddo, I want you to try to hold still," Darry said, back to being the strict big brother that Ponyboy knew, "Breaking curfew and sneaking out are some of the biggest rules in this house. This keeps up and you and me are gonna have to have our first conversation in the garage. You dig?"</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, bracing himself for what was undoubtedly gonna be a sore few minutes. </p><p>Darry didn't say anything else, just resumed smacking with a faster pace than before. Ponyboy was pretty sure they were still lighter than usual, but against an already sore butt, they felt like murder. Within a few minutes, Ponyboy was crying again. Darry didn't seem phased by it because his hand still came down with the same speed and strength. After a while, Ponyboy felt Darry move down to his upper thighs and he really started to bawl. Everything from the very top of his butt to midway down his legs were stinging something fierce and Darry didn't show any signs of stopping.</p><p>"I'm sorrrryyyy," Pony cried, "I'll be goooood!" </p><p>"I appreciate it, kiddo, but even if you're not, I'll still be here, kicking your butt for it."</p><p>Darry walloped him for a minute or so more and Pony just laid there and cried. By the time Darry stopped, Pony felt like he'd sat on a hot stove or something. He knew Darry hadn't really hurt him, and that the stinging in his butt was mostly surface, but he still felt plenty miserable in the moment. Even after the smacks stopped, he kept howling at the fire burning on his ass.</p><p>"Shh, baby, you're okay," Darry cooed, shifting Ponyboy off his lap and pulling him toward the headboard of the bed. Pony felt himself being settled so that he was laying on his stomach, his upper half buried into Darry's chest. He'd usually sit on Darry's lap, but he figured from the way Darry was positioning himself on his side that he'd probably had enough time sitting on his butt. Ponyboy snuggled in as Darry pulled up the sheet over Ponyboy's bottom half, which the kid much preferred to pulling his underwear up right then. </p><p>"I'm sorry," Pony sniffled.</p><p>"Shh, it's okay. You're not in trouble anymore. I love you so much, honey."</p><p>"Love you too," Pony said. They both sat in silence for a moment while Darry gently played with Ponyboy's hair.</p><p>"Can I join y'all?" Sodapop asked, sticking his head in the door and flashing his charming grin.</p><p>"Yeah, c'mere, little buddy," Darry said, and Soda launched himself into the bed.</p><p>"Owww," Ponyboy complained when the movement jostled him onto his well beaten backside. A hiss from Darry revealed he felt the same.</p><p>"Easy, kiddo, we've both got sore butts."</p><p>"Whose fault is that?" Soda smirked, and Pony's eyes went wide. Only Soda would dare be that sassy to Darry.</p><p>"You're right. It's ours." Darry sighed, "But I'll remember this next time you get your backside in trouble. Maybe jostle you around when you're sitting on my knee. "</p><p>Both Darry and Pony laughed when their brother stuck his tongue out at them. Soda, more gently this time, wriggled himself so he was sitting on the other side of Ponyboy. Sandwiched between his two brothers, Pony felt more relaxed than he had been all week. Hell, he felt lighter than he had in months. Any thoughts of Darry hating him or thinking he was just another mouth to feed were long gone. It sucked that Darry couldn't just be his big brother anymore, but Pony realized that Darry was doing a pretty good job of trying to fill in for his Mom and Dad. It couldn't be easy for Darry, or Soda even, to be thrust into the role of parent, but Pony was grateful he had them.  Pony knew he'd probably keep messing up, he was only fourteen after all, but his big brothers would be right there to catch him when he did.</p><p>Yes, the Curtis boys were gonna be okay, somehow.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Lifting Hubcaps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were dead. More than dead. Darry was for sure gonna kill them and bring them back to life just to kill them again. He had warned them over and over about lifting hubcaps and Steve and Soda promised him that they weren't gonna do it anymore. Soda had really meant it and he was pretty sure Steve did too. But there they were, sitting in the police station, waiting for Darry to pick them up.  </p><p>"I'm here to pick up Steve Randle and Sodapop Curtis."</p><p>Uh oh, now they were really in for it. Darry did not sound happy. From his seat on the bench, Soda could see Darry talking to the officer at the front desk. Darry caught his eye for a moment and Soda couldn't help but shrink back at the glare he received.  </p><p>"Right this way, Mr. Curtis," the cop said, leading Darry back to where they were sitting.  It was always weird for Soda to hear his brother be referred to as Mr. Curtis. That was their Dad's name. Darry was just Darry.   </p><p>"Boys," Darry sighed, by way of greeting. Sodapop looked down at his shoes, unable to meet his big brother's eyes. </p><p>"Since Steve is 17, we called Mr. Randle, but he said his son was better off going home with you," the officer said, "We're willing to release him to you if you'll take him."</p><p>That was a kind way of phrasing what Steve's old man had said. Even through the phone, Soda could hear Mr. Randle yelling. He believed the man's words were, 'That damn boy can rot in jail for all I care. If the Curtis kid wants to pick him up, that's fine, but I sure as hell ain't coming.'</p><p>It wasn't even directed toward Soda and he'd still flinched. Steve, on the other hand, hadn't even reacted. He was used to it and that was the worst part about it. The only good thing about it is that Mr. Randle would give him a few bucks once he'd calmed down as a way of apologizing, and Steve would treat for milkshakes or cokes or something. </p><p>"Yessir, I will," Darry told the officer. Of course he'd take Steve. Darry was a good guy that way. Soda knew Darry loved Steve like a kid brother. </p><p>"I'm letting them off with a warning this time, but next time I won't be so lenient."</p><p>"I appreciate that. Believe me, this won't happen again."</p><p>"Glad to hear it."</p><p>Darry turned to the Steve and Soda and snapped his fingers, "Boys, stand up and apologize to the officer for your behavior."</p><p>"Sorry, sir."</p><p>"Sorry."</p><p>"Thank you for letting them go, sir," Darry said, shaking the cop's hand, "Enjoy the rest of your night,"</p><p>"You too, son. Boys, I better not see you boys sitting on this bench again."</p><p>"Don't worry, officer, these little boys won't want to be sitting anywhere for a long while."</p><p>"Darry!" Soda and Steve said, almost in unison. The cop just chuckled, which didn't make Soda feel any better. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that they were getting whupped or their reaction to it that was funny. Probably both. </p><p>"Don't you 'Darry' me," he snapped, "You're lucky I don't put you both over my knee right here. Get moving."</p><p>Apparently they weren't moving fast enough for his liking because Soda felt Darry's clamp down on his ear. A quick glance to his right revealed that Darry was going the same to Steve. He dragged them all the way out of the station and over to his truck before letting them go</p><p>"Get in," Darry barked before stomping over to the driver's side and hopping in, slamming the door as he went. Soda and Steve looked at each other, both not wanting to sit in the middle seat next to a very angry Darry. It was only when Darry made a move to get out of the truck that Soda jumped in, sliding across to the middle seat. If Darry would've made it across before they got in the truck, there's no guarantee he wouldn't start spanking right there. </p><p>"I don't wanna hear a peep out of either of you till we get home," Darry said, starting up the car. Soda went to open his mouth to argue, but one look from Darry shut him up real quick. Honestly, they were pretty lucky Darry wasn't already taking his belt off. Soda shifted in his seat so he was basically pressed against Steve, wanting to stay as far from Darry as possible. There wasn't much Darry could do while driving the car, but the anger radiating off of him made Soda nervous. Plus, he knew Darry wasn't above pulling over and doling out a couple sharp slaps to the thigh. Soda could tell that Darry was trying his best not to lose his cool and he certainly did not want to jinx that. </p><p>"Go inside." Darry commanded as they pulled into the driveway, "I'll be back in a little bit."</p><p>"Where you going?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Out for a drive. I need to cool off," Darry said, and luckily he didn't seem to get any more riled up by Steve asking. Maybe because he'd already hit his upper limit of riled. Soda didn't wanna stick around and find out. He nudged Steve out of the car and followed him onto the porch.</p><p>"Both of you, noses in the corner," Darry called after them, "And you better have a damn good excuse when I get back."</p><p>Sodapop winced. The didn't have any excuse, much less a damn good one. They were teenage boys, young and impulsive. That was all. They'd seen the car and thought they'd get away with it. Steve could lift a hubcap quicker than anyone else and they'd probably get 20 bucks per cap. That was a lot of date money. </p><p>As they entered the house, both Soda and Steve headed to separate corners. Most of the corners were filled with furniture in the small home, so they didn't have many options to choose from. The designated time-out corner was the one in the living room between the couch and the fireplace, but when more than one of them was in trouble, they had to be a little creative with space. Once, Darry had stuck four of them in corners at one time. God, how Darry's head didn't just explode, Soda didn't know.</p><p>As he stared at the chipping paint on the wall, Soda tried to come up with something, anything, to say to Darry. He knew what not to say, at least. 'We didn't mean to' was pretty much guaranteed to get your head ripped off. 'We thought we could get away with it' and you'd be over Darry's knee before you could blink. Even an 'I'm sorry' usually resulted in a 'yeah, you're gonna be sorry.' And they were gonna be sorry. All they could do was take their licks, apologize, and promise not to do it again. </p><p>"Go to bed, both of you," Darry said, coming in to the house and plopping down in the armchair, "I'm too pissed to deal with this tonight." </p><p>"Yessir," Soda and Steve both replied. Soda was a little surprised at that, but he knew that Darry wouldn't want to punish them in anger. If that meant Darry needed the night to sort things out, then so be it. It was only about 9 PM but Soda wasn't about to argue. Carefully not to get within swatting distance of Darry, Soda hurried to his room with Steve right behind. It was clear that 'Go to bed' meant for Steve to stay over in Soda and Ponyboy's room. It wasn't like he could go home tonight. Once in Soda's room, they both shucked off their jackets, jeans and shoes and got right into bed, knowing that Darry could come in at any time to check on them.</p><p>"We really fucked up this time, didn't we?" Steve asked in a hushed tone, rolling over to look at Soda. </p><p>"I think we did," Soda sighed, "I mean we promised Darry we were gonna stop."</p><p>"It just seemed like easy money."</p><p>"Yeah," Soda agreed, "We better enjoy sleeping on our backs tonight. It's gonna be a long while before we do it again." Soda knew that he was exaggerating, that Darry would never whup them hard enough to last more than a couple of days, but man, a good ass warming always made you feel like you were never gonna sit again. </p><p>"Amen to that," Steve whispered.</p><p>"Poor Ponyboy's gonna have to spend the night next to a full grown grizzly," Soda said. </p><p>Steve laughed at that, but a little too loudly, because a second later that full grown grizzly swung the door open.</p><p>"I said, go to bed, not stay up fucking around," Darry scolded, "This ain't a slumber party."</p><p>"Yessir," Soda replied, not liking where this was going.</p><p>"Roll over," Darry said, twirling his finger. Knowing exactly what he meant, both boys shifted so that they were laying on their stomachs. Soda wasn't surprised when a second later, he felt Darry smack his butt twice before leaning over him and smacking Steve twice.</p><p>"Stop talking and go to bed, or I will paddle both of your bottoms," Darry threatened, before stomping out of the room and closing the door forcefully behind him. Darry didn't cuss at them when he was mad. No, the madder he got, the more he talked to them like misbehaving kids. It was Darry's way of reminding them that they weren't tough hoods, just little boys who were getting too big for their britches. </p><p>"Fuck," Steve whispered under his breath, barely audible to even Sodapop.</p><p>"Yep," was all Soda responded. He didn't need to say anything else. They were well and truly fucked.</p>
<hr/><p>Steve laid in Soda's bed staring up at the ceiling. Soda was still asleep beside him and there was no way he was facing Darry alone. He figured he'd probably be crashing at their house for the next few nights until his old man calmed down. Right now he was still in the 'leave and never come back' phase. The longer Steve stayed away, the more sorry his Pop would be. Eventually he'd give him a few bucks to make up for it. He'd never apologize, though. </p><p>"Hey, buddy, wake up," Steve said when the clock hit eight, knowing it would be better to get up before Darry felt the need to come get them up. </p><p>"Sleeping," Soda grumbled, rolling over and away from Steve.</p><p>"C'mon, man," Steve tried again, "You know you don't want Muscles coming in and waking you up." This time, Soda groggily pushed himself awake. Steve left him to wake up a minute while he put on his jeans. He felt a little silly putting on pants knowing they were coming off again in a matter of time, but the idea of going without was worse. He didn't want to sit on the couch and get scolded by Darry in nothing but his briefs and t-shirt. He sat back down on the bed, enjoying the ability while he could, and waited for Sodapop to sort himself out. Once Soda was dressed and at least a little bit awake, they ventured out of the room together. Steve could hear Darry making coffee in the kitchen, so he figured it was safe enough to head to the bathroom to brush his teeth. It wasn't that he thought that Darry was just gonna up and throw him over his knee, but he was still trying to avoid his very pissed off big brother for as long as he could. </p><p>Once they had brushed their teeth and combed and greased their hair, both boys padded barefoot into the kitchen. They stood silently, as if ready to bolt, and waited for Darry to make the first move. </p><p>"Get yourselves some breakfast. We'll talk afterward," Darry said, looking up from his paper. Steve could tell Darry was trying to hold himself back from starting the lecture right there.</p><p>"Yessir," they both responded. Sodapop went in for the cereal and Steve grabbed the milk from the icebox. Most mornings at the Curtis house involved eggs, but Steve had a feeling they were on a time limit. They brought their cereal over to the table and sat down. Steve reached to cut himself a piece of cake, but after a raised eyebrow from Darry, he went back to his cereal. Apparently no cake when you're in trouble was now a rule. They both ate quickly, slurping down two bowls of cereal each, while Darry continued to read the paper. Soda grabbed their bowls and quickly rinsed them while Steve put the milk and cereal away.</p><p>"We're done, Darry," Steve volunteered. He didn't particularly want to move onto the lecture from Darry and the inevitable trip to the garage, but he figured they might as well get it over with. </p><p>"Alright, go sit on the couch," Darry said, and both boys quickly obeyed. The couch was always the interrogation site. </p><p>"Either of you wanna tell me what the hell you were thinking last night?" Darry asked, putting his hands on his hips.</p><p>"We wanted some extra money to take Evie and Sandy out this week, but Jimmy said we couldn't pick up any extra shifts. We were trying to figure out a way to come up with some money so we decided to go lift some hubcaps. We didn't think it through and we're sorry. We'll never do it again," Steve replied, almost robotically. He'd been practicing what to say while he was waiting for Soda to wake up.</p><p>"How long you been practicing that little speech?" Darry asked. </p><p>"About an hour," Steve shrugged, "You told us to have something to say."</p><p>"No, I told you you better have a damn good excuse. Wanting to take your little girlfriends out is nowhere near a damn good excuse. Soda, you wanna give it a try?"</p><p>"I don't have anything better, Dar. Steve told you everything. We just wanted some cash and I think we just egged each other on."</p><p>"Well, you can kiss taking your girlfriends out goodbye. You're both grounded for two weeks," Darry said. Steve nodded. It would suck not taking Evie out for a while, but he'd see her at school and she'd come stop by the DX. All in all, grounding wasn't that bad of a punishment. Steve was allowed to either stay there or go home to his house, with the knowledge that there'd be hell to pay if he lied about going home and actually went out. He pretty much spent all of his time there anyway, so it wasn't all that big of a change. </p><p>"Do either of you knuckleheads know what could've happened to you if the cop hadn't let you off with a warning?"</p><p>"We could've ended up in the cooler," Steve replied.</p><p>"That's right," Darry said, "Or even worse, Soda, you and Pony could've ended up in a boy's home. You know we can only stay together as long as we behave."</p><p>Both Steve and Soda stiffened. Neither one of them wanted that. Soda would only have a year, but Pony would have to be there till he was out of school. The kid got on Steve's nerves sometimes, but Ponyboy was like a little brother to him. He'd rather run with him down to Mexico than let him end up in a boys' home. </p><p>"Didn't think of that," Soda said, hanging his head, obviously having the wind knocked out of him too. </p><p>"I don't like y'all breaking your promises to me. Last time we talked about this, you said you weren't gonna do it no more," Darry said, "Y'all lied to me."</p><p>"We didn't mean to!" Steve argued before he could stop himself. </p><p>"I trust you didn't mean to break your promise back when you made it, but you sure as hell meant to break it last night."</p><p>"Sorry, Dar," Steve said, wanting to kick himself. Darry was right. Lifting the hubcaps was no accident.</p><p>"Yeah, we're real sorry," Soda agreed.</p><p>"All you boys are always sorry after the fact, but you gotta learn to think before you act. It's much better to just not do stupid shit than to have to sit around and be sorry about it. Savvy?"</p><p>"Yessir," they both replied</p><p>"Either of you have anything else to add?" Steve wanted to say he was sorry again, but he knew that wouldn't help very much, so he just shook his head.</p><p>"Alright, out to the garage, both of you," Darry directed, unbuckling his belt as he went behind them. Darry had only whupped Steve with his belt a few times, and Mr. Curtis a few times before that, but Steve had certainly learned to hate it. He had to stop himself from flinching when he heard the distinctive sound of the belt being pulled from its loops. His father had never used a belt on him, preferring to just scream at him and tell him to get out of his sight. When he was younger, he would just duck into his room until his old man calmed down, but when he got to be thirteen or so, his father would throw him right out of the house. Steve would always end up sleeping at the Curtis' those times. Not much had changed on that front. </p><p>Not needing to be told what to do, Sodapop and Steve quickly moved the sawhorse, threw the tarp over, and dropped their pants and underwear. Both rested their torsos on the top bar and grabbed onto the bottom. The horse wasn't all that big, so they were pretty much smushed together. It was better than the alternative, though. Mr. Curtis had always made one of them stand in the corner while the other got punished. It wasn't so bad going first, but going second and listening to your buddy get punished, all the while knowing it was going to happen to you next, was sheer torture. </p><p>"Hold tight," Darry said, the only warning he gave them. Steve tensed as he heard the belt whipping through the air, not knowing which of them was gonna get the first lick. When he heard the crack but didn't feel anything, he knew it was Sodapop. He winced in sympathy as Darry delivered three more to Soda. Darry had a pattern when he was whupping two asses at a time. Four to one, four to the other, until they were both bawling and promising to be good. </p><p>Steve had to hold in a muffled gasp when the first lick fell on his ass. He always forgot just how bad the belt stings. His only consolation was that his ass wasn't already sore. Once, he had fucked up twice in one day, and Darry had spanked him in the morning and whipped him in the evening. Darry always said that it was your own damn fault that your butt was sore and that they should try behaving for more than a few hours if they didn't wanna get it on an already red ass. </p><p>"I'm sick and tired of whipping y'all's asses for getting jailed," Darry scolded, moving back to Soda. Steve couldn't help but feel guilty at that. This was his second time getting whipped for being arrested, and if he was honest with himself, it probably wouldn't be the last. He'd probably be locked up a lot more often if he didn't think Darry would whup him for it, though.  He was certainly more scared of Darry's belt than he was a couple nights in juvie. Darry had told him over and over again that when he got older, he wouldn't want that shit on his record, but that never seemed to stop Steve from getting himself into trouble. No, it was only the immediate consequence of a painful trip out to the garage that kept him in line. He hated it, for sure, but he understood why Darry did it.</p><p>Steve tried to focus on something, anything else to distract from the pain of the belt. Darry continued going back and forth from Sodapop to Steve so many times that Steve lost count. His best estimate was about a thousand, maybe two. They'd certainly been out there for hours, he was sure. He didn't know what was worse, getting the licks himself of hearing Soda get them. </p><p>"Owww, Darryyyyyyy," Soda whined after another set hit his backside. Steve wasn't surprised at the complaint. Soda was usually all smiles, not wanting anyone to know if he was hurt or upset, but when he did break down, he broke down hard. Hearing his best friend in pain, and the fire that was quickly building on his ass, had Steve losing his composure. Before he knew it, he felt tears start to run down his cheeks.</p><p>"I trust you two are learning your lesson?" Darry asked, switching back to Steve, "No more getting jailed, okay?"</p><p>"Yessir," Steve sniffled, "We'll be goo--owww!"</p><p>"We're sorry!" Soda added, both of them crying freely now. Darry didn't respond, just brought the belt down for a few more rounds on each boy. When the belt started to fall on his legs, Steve threw his hand back without thinking.</p><p>"Ahh!" Steve cried when the belt slapped down across the palm of his hand. </p><p>"Damnit Steve," Darry barked, throwing the belt aside and grabbing Steve's hand to look at it. He hadn't realized he was doing in it the moment, but Steve was glad at least that he'd thrown his hand back palm up instead of palm down. He remembered from grade school how much getting rapped on the knuckles hurt. </p><p>"It doesn't look too bad," Darry said, "We'll get some ice on it later. You think you can manage to keep it out of the way or do I need to hold onto it for you?"</p><p>"You don't need to. I'll keep my hands in front," Steve sniffled, the small pause allowing him to catch his breath. He wanted to complain more about his sore hand, but he knew Darry already felt bad about it if he was offering ice.</p><p>"Alright, we're almost done," Darry said, "I know y'all won't be thinking about much other than your backsides, but try to remember this next time you wanna do something stupid and get yourself jailed."</p><p>"Yessir," they both sniffled. Steve could feel Darry move away from him and toward Sodapop. The belt resumed falling and Steve counted out the four licks in his head, but Darry didn't stop then. When it was time to finish, he would always give a longer, faster set before calling it done. Steve was both relieved that they were almost done and nervous that the finale was here. He felt bad that Sodapop wouldn't get any comfort until Darry was done whupping both of them. When they got spanked alone, Darry always offered immediate comfort, but it just wasn't possible with two of them getting whupped at the same time. </p><p>Soon enough, Soda was all out wailing and almost knocking Steve off the sawhorse with the squirming he was doing. Steve himself felt his heart race, knowing he was next.  It was also pretty brutal to listen to his best friend's cries. Finally, the belt stopped falling, though Soda didn't seem to notice. </p><p>"Alright, little buddy, we're done," Darry said, and Steve would guess that he was rubbing Soda's back, "Just stay there a minute till I finish with Stevie and then you can get up."</p><p>Steve felt Darry shift and place a hand on his back. Steve sucked in a quick breath before he felt the belt come down hard on his ass. The break of Darry inspecting his hand and then whupping Soda had given Steve's ass a bit of time to cool down, but the belt quickly reignited that fire. All too soon, Steve was crying just as hard as before and swearing to himself that he would never get locked up again. He couldn't grip onto the crossbar with his hand still smarting, so he started to fear that he'd throw it back again. Steve realized that he should've had Darry hold onto it but it was too late now. He started desperately flinging his hand in front of Soda in hopes that he'd grab it. Soda seemed to get the message as he took Steve's wrist, gently squeezing it in reassurance and holding onto it until Darry was done. Steve just wailed as Darry laid the last smacks on him, laying worn out over the sawhorse. </p><p>"Shh, Steve, you're alright, all is forgiven," Darry said softly, rubbing his back, "You too Sodapop, it's all over and done. Y'all are grounded but I'm not mad anymore."</p><p>Steve didn't quite know how much time passed while he laid there, trying to catch his breath and willing the fire in his ass to go down. After a while, he felt Soda stand up beside him. Soda's punishment had been done first, so Steve thought he deserved a few more minutes to compose himself. When he felt like he could stand up without bawling, he reached down and pulled his jeans and underwear up. Turning around, he saw Darry hugging and murmuring quietly to Sodapop. Soda was standing in only his briefs, his jeans pushed to the side, but that was Sodapop for ya. Kid had little modesty. </p><p>Darry apparently noticed Steve had stood up because he pulled Soda closer with his right arm and extended his left arm out for Steve. Steve didn't need anymore invitation than that, burying himself into Darry's side with his head resting on Darry's left shoulder. He felt Soda sling an arm over his shoulders and he wrapped his right arm around Soda's waist. Both sniffled and mumbled their apologies.</p><p>"Hey, enough sorries. You're both good kids, and God help me, I love both of ya," Darry said, both boys giving a wet laugh, "Just try not to make my hair turn grey, okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Soda agreed and Steve just nodded. He felt Soda starting to pull away from the hug and moved to do the same. To his surprise, he felt Darry keep holding onto him, this time wrapping both arms around Steve and giving him a tight squeeze before letting him go. The three walked back to the house to find Two-Bit camped out in the armchair watching TV. None of them batted an eye. They all had a habit of just walking into the Curtis house uninvited</p><p>"Hey, jailbirds!" Two-Bit said as they walked back into the house. Steve shook his head. Word sure did travel fast around their neighborhood. Not like they were gonna be able to hide it anyway. They were both walking stiffly, Darry hadn't put his belt back on yet, and to top it off, Soda was still standing in his underwear, red upper thighs on display to God and everyone.</p><p>"Knock it off, Two-Bit," Darry said, walking into the kitchen with Soda following behind  Knowing they'd be back soon, Steve took it as his chance to stake claim of the couch, lying on his side so he could see the TV. Unless they acted up, Darry usually let them watch TV when they were grounded, probably because he didn't want to deal with a bunch of bored teenagers. And he probably wanted to watch TV himself! When Darry came back into the living room a minute later and handed him a bag of ice, Steve looked at him curiously. They were never allowed ice after a whupping. Darry said it took the lesson away. </p><p>"Oh, so he gets ice, but when I try to put a bag of frozen peas on my ass I'm 'nasty' and 'ruining tomorrow's dinner'?" Two-Bit said in mock outrage.</p><p>"For your hand, not your butt," Darry said, ignoring Two-Bit. Steve laughed. His hand barely even hurt anymore, but his ass was still smarting something fierce.  </p><p>"Hand me those pillows, will ya?" Soda said, coming back in the room with two cokes, handing one to Steve. Steve tossed him the cushions from the back of the couch and Soda plopped down on the floor in front of the TV like Ponyboy and Johnny sometimes did when they got kicked off the couch. Darry came over and tapped Steve's feet, who moved his legs so his brother could sit down before laying them back down on Darry's lap. </p><p>Other than the lingering soreness in his ass, it was like any other morning hanging out in the Curtis house for Steve. There were no hard feelings, no grudges held by either Darry or the boys. Once their two week grounding was up, this would all just be a painful memory, and, with any luck, a lesson learned. Steve was not eager to repeat this mistake, and although Darry didn't hold a grudge, he wasn't exactly a fan of having to whip someone for the same thing twice. </p><p>Steve certainly had no idea what kind of punishment would await them if they stole another hubcap, but he certainly didn't wanna find out.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Extra Padding</h2></a>
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    <p>All Darry had hoped to do was have a couple of beers with his work buddies. He just wanted for once to relax and enjoy a night where he wasn't corralling teenagers. So when his friends asked if he wanted to meet at Buck's, Darry even surprised himself by jumping at the chance. He didn't usually like Buck's. The crow was rough and the music was too loud for his liking, but that night he was happy just to go out somewhere. </p><p>As entered Buck's in search of his buddies, Darry noticed the crowd forming in the middle of the dance floor. Ignoring the commotion at first, he started to make his way over to where his friends had congregated at the bar. He could hear some obnoxious kid singing along to the jukebox. </p><p>Wait, he knew that voice. That was <em>his </em>obnoxious kid. </p><p>Using his height to his advantage, he peered over the crowd. There, in the middle of the circle, stood Two-Bit, swaying back and forth slowly. He was using a pool cue as a microphone and belting out the words to 'Can't Help Falling in Love' to some woman who looked to be in her mid 40s. The woman looked amused and thankfully Darry didn't see any husbands coming to knock him out. No, the crowd just seemed pretty entertained by him, but that could change quickly. Darry didn't know what he was more upset about-- the fact the kid was pissed out of his mind or the fact that he'd been disobeyed. When Darry had gotten home from work that afternoon, the boys had all been hanging out and watching the Oklahoma State game on TV. Two-Bit had drank a few too many beers and Darry walked him home with strict instructions to STAY there and sleep it off. </p><p>As Darry got closer to Two-Bit, he spied Dally standing to the side, watching but not doing anything to stop the scene. He came up behind the kid and smacked him hard on the back of the head.</p><p>"Hey!" Dally yelled, fist cocked, only dropping it when he saw it was Darry.</p><p>"What the hell, Dallas? You're sitting here letting him act like a fool? What happens when her husband shows up and knocks his block off?"</p><p>"Aww Dar, you know I woulda yanked him away if there was any trouble. Everyone's getting a kick out of him at the moment. No one's looking to fight," Dallas responded, seeming just a little spacey.</p><p>"You sober?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Enough," Dally responded. Darry had to stifle the urge to scold the kid for being a wise ass.</p><p>"You coming back to ours tonight?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Nah, man, I think I'll crash in one of the rooms upstairs."</p><p>"Then I'd suggest you go on up. I don't wanna be back here in an hour dealing with whatever trouble you find yourself in." Dally looked like he was gonna protest, but Darry simply raised an eyebrow. Keeping six rowdy boys in line, he'd become pretty practiced at giving 'the look.'</p><p>"I was heading to bed anyway," Dally said and Darry rolled his eyes. Of course Dally had to pretend that he wasn't just going up because Darry told him to.</p><p>'One battle at a time,' Darry thought, going over the Two-Bit and clamping his hand on the back of the kid's neck. Realizing that the kid was too drunk too notice, he moved his hand to tug just a little on the back of Two-Bit's hair.</p><p>"Thought I told you to stay home," Darry growled, keeping a grip on the scruff of Two-Bit's neck. </p><p>"Darry!" Two-Bit said happily, not realizing how pissed Darry was. </p><p>Tightening his grip, Darry leaned in to whisper in Two-Bit's ear, "Little boy, I'm this close to yanking your jeans down and spanking your butt right here. Let's go."</p><p>"No, Dar!" Two-Bit cried, finally coming to his senses at least a little bit. Darry released his hair but took a firm grip on the back of his jacket. </p><p>"Move," Darry barked, dragging him over to where his friends were sitting.</p><p>"Fellas, I'm gonna have to take a rain check," Darry sighed, "Gotta take this brat home."</p><p>"Heyyyy, I'm not a brat," Two-Bit whined, pouting when the guys just laughed at him.</p><p>"Good luck, man," Darry's friend Jack said. Darry gave him a curt nod before pushing Two-Bit toward the door. </p><p>"He's still got a tab open," Buck called after them. Darry sent him a withering glare and Buck backed down.</p><p>"He'll be back tomorrow to settle up," Darry called, pushing the kid out the door and toward the truck. </p><p>"Wait, I didn't get her number," Two-Bit complained as they reached the truck. Darry lost his patience and bent the kid under his arm, smacking the seat of his jeans four times. He manhandled the drunk teen into the passenger side, only stopping to stick his middle finger up at the guys who wolf-whistled at them. Darry wondered how those guys would respond if Darry made good on his threat to bare the kid's ass. Darry had no problem tanning a bare butt in front of the rest of the gang if they really pushed him, but he didn't think he'd ever actually make the boys drop their pants in public. He didn't mind using the threat of it to keep them behaving, though.</p><p>"Keith Edward Mathews, I've warned you about this a million times," Darry lectured as he started up the truck and peeled out of the parking lot, "If you're gonna hang out at Buck's, you've gotta keep your head on straight. It's too rowdy a place for you to be getting this drunk. I'm starting to think I shouldn't let you go there at all."</p><p>"Noooo Darry! It's like the one fun place to hang out after midnight."</p><p>"First of all, it's 10:30, the Dingo and the bowling alley are still open, not that you were supposed to be going out tonight at all. Second, why do you need to be hanging out after midnight anyway?"</p><p>"'Cause I'm not an oooold man!" Two-Bit said, laughing to himself. Darry gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He had the urge to pull the truck over and give the kid the what-for right there on the side of the road. </p><p>"That's right, you're not an old man," Darry said, "You're my kid brother. And when I tell you to do something, I expect to be obeyed."</p><p>"Sir yes sir," Two-Bit said, giving a sloppy salute and even sloppier grin. Darry sighed. Nothing he said was gonna get through to the kid tonight. He was just glad he showed up when he did. Buck's was a rough place, especially for a drunk eighteen year old with a mouth as big as Two-Bit's. </p><p>When they arrived home, Darry helped Two-Bit out of the truck, unable to resist giving the kid a sharp swat once he was on two feet again.</p><p>"Owww," Two-Bit whined.</p><p>"Get inside right now, " Darry ordered, popping the kid once more for emphasis. He was done playing around. </p><p>It wasn't very late, so Sodapop was still out, but Pony and Johnny were sitting on the couch watching TV when Darry and Two-Bit arrived.</p><p>"Ponyboy, take Johnny and go to your room," Darry ordered, shoving Two-Bit through the door. Both boys looked at him anxiously.</p><p>"What'd we do?" Pony asked, clearly thinking they were in trouble. </p><p>"Nothing," Darry said, forcing himself to take a deep breath, "I shouldn't have said it like that. I found Two-Bit at Buck's and I'm dealing with that. You don't gotta go to your room, you can hang out on the porch or something, but I'm gonna put Two-Bit down on the couch."</p><p>"Yeah, okay, c'mon Johnny," Pony said. Johnny just nodded and followed Ponyboy out to the porch. Darry made a mental note to apologize to them later, but had to focus on Two-Bit then. He turned around to see tonight's miscreant sitting in the armchair pretending to be reading the paper with a stern expression. </p><p>"Get it, I'm you?" Two-Bit said, laughing uproariously.</p><p>"Paper's upside down, smart guy," Darry said, shaking his head. The kid surely did not grasp how much trouble he was in. </p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"Forget it," Darry sighed, "It's bedtime for you, kiddo. We'll talk about everything tomorrow. I'm not convinced you'd even remember a whupping tonight."</p><p>"Where's Johnny gonna sleep?" Two-Bit asked, clumsily taking off his boots, totally ignoring Darry's promise of punishment.</p><p>"Probably in Pony and Soda's room," Darry replied, "Now hush up and worry about yourself. I want you laying down ready for bed in five minutes. </p><p>"Don't need five minutes," Two-Bit said, wriggling out of his jeans and tossing them on the floor before launching himself onto the couch. </p><p>"Seems like an odd choice for sleepwear but to each his own I guess." Two-Bit looked confused for a second before noticing that he was still wearing his leather jacket. Laughing again, he shucked the jacket off and tossed it in a pile with his jeans and boots. </p><p>"I want you to stay on the couch unless you need to use the bathroom. And if you wake me up in the middle of the night, the Lord himself won't be able to stop me from tanning your hide. You dig?"</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit nodded, his eyes going wide. Good, at least he finally realized that Darry meant business. Darry grabbed a throw blanket off of the armchair and tossed it to Two-Bit.</p><p>"Night, Darry!" Two-Bit called after him as Darry headed out to the porch to check on Ponyboy and Johnny. </p><p>"Night, kid." Darry sighed. Two-Bit was still too drunk to realize it, but he was in for a long day tomorrow. </p>
<hr/><p>"Wake up!"  was the first thing Two-Bit heard, followed by the a sharp clanging sound. He woke up to see Darry standing over him banging two metal pot lids together.</p><p>"Damnit, Darry, knock it off. My head is killing me!" Two-Bit groaned, rolling over and covering his head with a pillow. He wished Darry would just let him sleep off his hangover in peace. </p><p>"Oh no you don't," Darry said, ripping the pillow away, "You're not gonna lie here and sleep the day away. I've made you a list of chores."</p><p>"I don't even do chores at my own house. What makes you think I'm gonna do them here?" </p><p>"Because if you don't, I'm gonna whup your behind in on top of the licking you already have coming," Darry replied. Two-Bit looked at him, puzzled for a moment, before bits and pieces of the night before started to come back. He remembered being at Buck's, singing to the woman, and being dragged out by Darry. Oh shit, he'd made an ass out of himself last night when Darry was already pissed. </p><p>"Oh c'mon, Superman," Two-Bit pleaded, "I've been drunk plenty of times before. It wasn't that bad."</p><p>"We'll talk about it when I get home, but for now-- chores," Darry ordered sternly, handing him the list.</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Two-Bit sighed, sitting up. He had the urge to make a joke about Darry enjoying them screwing up so he could get free labor, but decided against it. </p><p>"Alright, I'm heading out. I'm only working a half day so I'll be back around one. Try to stay out of trouble till then?"</p><p>"No promises there. Might just burn the house down left to my own devices," Two-Bit shot back, instantly regretting it when Darry yanked him up to a standing position. He was mighty hungover and Darry jerking him up so quick made the world spin. Two-Bit was thankful that Darry had a good hold on his bicep, but was not so thankful when Darry used his other hand to deliver four hard swats. Two-Bit was still in his briefs and Darry certainly had a hard hand. </p><p>"I'm not messing around here, Keith. Keep your nose clean till I get back or else," Darry said before releasing the Two-Bit's arm. Damn, now his head hurt and his ass hurt. </p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit replied, dropping back onto the couch. He really didn't wanna find you what 'or else' meant. </p><p>"Alright, see you this afternoon," Darry said, walking out the door.</p><p>Looking over at the clock, Two-Bit saw it was only quarter to eight. He figured Soda, Ponyboy, and Johnny were still sleeping, or at least were trying to before Darry starting clanging pots and pans. Shimmying his jeans back on, he went to cook himself some bacon and eggs to try to fight the hangover. Hoping maybe they'd put in a good word for him with Darry, Two-Bit made breakfast for the rest of the boys as well. He swallowed a couple of aspirin while making breakfast and was just about finishing cooking when Pony and Johnny padded into the kitchen, followed by Sodapop a few minutes later. None of them could resist the smell of bacon and eggs, apparently. </p><p>The four had a mostly normal breakfast together at the table. Ponyboy and Johnny mercifully didn't tease him about the state he was in the night before and Soda told them all about his date with Sandy. After breakfast, Ponyboy and Johnny went out to throw the football and Sodapop vegged out on couch in front of the TV.</p><p>For the sake of his head and his still sleepy brother, Two-Bit started on the quiet chores first. He washed up the breakfast dishes and started work on cleaning out the icebox. With all the boys around, nothing really went to waste, so it wasn't like there was any rotting food or anything. Still it was a pain to pull everything out, wipe the shelved down, and put everything back. Two-Bit wasn't exactly practiced in the art of cleaning so the chores took him longer than probably necessary.</p><p>He finished cleaning the kitchen, wiping the counters and cleaning the floors, a truly painstaking task for him, and looked at the list. Ugh, he had a lot to accomplish before Darry got home. Moving on to his most hated job, he went to clean up the bathroom. With three guys living there full time, and another four basically living there part time, it got pretty gross pretty fast. They all did their hair at least once a day, so the sink and countertop were always a little greasy. Two-Bit set to cleaning the sink, shower, and worst of all, toilet. Usually when Darry told him to do stuff, Two-Bit would do a half-assed job, like sweeping dirt right under the rug, or try to bribe someone else to do it. At best, Darry wouldn't even notice, and at worst, he'd hand out a few smacks and make Two-Bit do the chore again. It was a risk Two-Bit was usually willing to take. Punishment chores were different, though. Two-Bit knew that Darry would be pretty pissed if he didn't do them the best he could. </p><p>By the time he finished the bathroom and picked up in the living room, it was nearing noon. Two-Bit hoped he could mow the lawn and still have time to make lunch for everyone. Making lunch wasn't on the list, but he figured it couldn't hurt. Making two meals in a day had to be a record for Two-Bit. He shooed Ponyboy and Johnny out of the lawn so he could mow, picking up a few beer bottles (probably his) as he went. Darry didn't like them leaving bottles in the yard, didn't like people thinking they were white trash, so Two-Bit took them out to the cans. He wasn't sure why the bottles were white trash but the rusted out car parked on the lawn wasn't. Steve and Soda were trying to get the money together to fix it up, but for now the car just sat there. </p><p>Once Two-Bit was finished with the lawn, he went inside and saw it was only 12:30. If he made lunch now, it would be cold by the time Darry got home. No knowing what to do with himself, he sat down on the couch</p><p>"You wanna come toss the ball?" Ponyboy asked as he and Johnny were heading back out to play, this time with Sodapop in tow. </p><p>"Nah, not this time, kid. I don't think Darry would like that very much." Ponyboy shrugged and went outside with Johnny. Soda gave him a sympathetic smile before following the boys out. </p><p>Now alone with his thoughts, Two-Bit became suddenly nervous about his upcoming conversation with Darry. He knew his big brother did not like to be disobeyed, and that's exactly what he had done last night. Plus, he'd made a fool of himself at Buck's. Both were big no-no's in Darry's book. Two-Bit figured he might not have an ass left when Darry was done with hm. At the very least, Darry was gonna some more use out of his thick brown belt. God, Two-Bit hated that thing. </p><p> As the anxiety started to get to him. Two-Bit started to desperately think of anything he could do to lessen his punishment somehow. He remembered a comic he'd seen where a kid stuffed a book down his pants to try to protect his butt. Two-Bit was sure Darry would notice that, but maybe he wouldn't notice some extra underwear? Not having time to go back to his house, Two-Bit ran into Ponyboy and Sodapop's room and opened the top dresser drawer. Hurriedly, he started pulling a pair of Soda's underwear on over his own. Seeing as they crashed there so often, they'd all borrowed clothes from the Curtises before, so Two-Bit he didn't think Soda would particularly care. No, if Soda found out, he'd probably be way too entertained to be mad.</p><p>The first three pairs slipped on easily, but Two-Bit knew the way Darry swung, the pain would still cut right through them. The next two were a little tighter and Two-Bit had to stretch them out a little to get them up. He figured any more and he wouldn't be able to button his jeans, so hiked the jeans up over his now well padded butt and went to go check himself out in the bathroom mirror. He told himself that it wasn't that noticeable and just prayed that Darry wouldn't figure it out. A small, more rational part of him knew that Darry was probably gonna pull his pants down anyway and he'd just get extra for this little stunt, but like the chores, it was a risk Two-Bit was willing to take.</p><p>Heading back into the kitchen, he started on lunch. Two-Bit wasn't exactly known for his cooking skills but he made some quick grilled cheeses for everyone. As he was piling the sandwiches on a plate, Darry came into the house.</p><p>"You made lunch?" Darry asked, heading over to the sink to wash the dirt off his hands and face. </p><p>"Peace offering...or bribe," Two-Bit shrugged.  </p><p>"Or brownie points," Darry said, with a small smile. Two-Bit appreciated that. Usually it was all glares and disappointed looks until after your ass was whupped raw.</p><p>Darry called the boys in for lunch and they came bouncing in, dirty from rough housing in the yard. Soda immediately reached for one of the grilled cheeses, but Darry smacked the back of his hand. "Wash your hands, dirt-ball."</p><p>After all hands were washed, the boys sat down for lunch. The meal was a little more subdued than breakfast. Two-Bit didn't want to risk making any jokes since the last one he made got him popped. Darry seemed to be in an okay mood, maybe even good, but Two-Bit knew that could change. He was also pretty paranoid that Darry would somehow use his big brother superpowers to see the extra layers on his butt. </p><p>Soon enough, lunch was over. Ponyboy and Sodapop smirked at him when he offered to do the dishes. Under normal circumstance, he'd never offer to do any extra chores, but he was stalling.  </p><p>"The boys'll do 'em," Darry said, "You and me have to have a conversation."</p><p>"Yes, Dar," Two-Bit sighed, following him to the living room. </p><p>"You wanna walk me through what happened last night?" Darry began as Two-Bit took a seat on the couch. He knew the whole song and dance by now. You sat on the couch, answered Darry's questions and listened while he lectured. After Darry was sure he knew you knew exactly what you did wrong, he'd bring down the hammer.</p><p>"Okay, well I was sitting at home, after you'd dropped me off, and I was still a little soused and wanting to find some action."</p><p>"Do you remember what I told you when I walked you home?"</p><p>"Yeah," Two-Bit said, looking down at his sock covered feet, "You told me to stay home and sleep off my buzz."</p><p>"And is that what you did?"</p><p>"No," Two-Bit mumbled.</p><p>"No, what?" Darry asked, reaching down and tilting Two-Bit's chin up.</p><p>"No, sir," Two-Bit said. He hated calling Darry 'sir.' He'd called Mr. Curtis that, sure, but that was different. He and Darry had grown up as buddies, only just under three years apart in age. Darry was a senior when Two-Bit was a freshman. Darry always looked out fo Two-Bit, much like Two-Bit did now for Ponyboy, but they also got in trouble together a handful of times. Two-Bit remembered one time they had messed around at school and had to have their parents pick them up. His ma couldn't get off work, so Mr. Curtis came and picked both of them up. He dragged both of them home and paddled them both. At fifteen Two-Bit wasn't so concerned, but knew almost-eighteen-year-old Darry had been embarrassed as hell.</p><p>Now, here Two-Bit was, eighteen and having to call his buddy 'sir.' Darry didn't require the title much, just when they were in trouble. Sometimes Ponyboy and Johnny used it when Darry told them to do stuff, but the older guys never did. Two-Bit had asked Darry once why he always insisted on it. Darry said he wanted them all to get in the habit of being respectful when they were in trouble, no matter if it was him, a cop, or anyone else. At home, the worst you could get was a sore ass, but you pop off to the wrong cop and you could end up with a broken arm right quick.</p><p>Two-Bit didn't know if he agreed with him. He just couldn't help himself but mouth off at the cops and no amount of practice saying 'yes, sir' and 'no, sir,' was gonna change that. No, he always had a wisecrack ready to go. It was just who he was. Johnny and Ponyboy were the ones that kept their mouth shut good. They were also the ones that said 'yessir' the most, though. Damnit, maybe Darry did have a point!</p><p>"What happened next?" Darry asked, breaking Two-Bit out of his train of thought. </p><p>"Uh, I drank a few Buds and headed out. Walked to the Dingo first and nothing good was happening. Went over to Jay's for a little while, had a couple more drinks, and by that time I was pretty boozed up."</p><p>"Uh huh," Darry said, not sounding impressed.</p><p>"After that I got it in my head to go to Buck's. I knew Steve and Sodapop were out with Evie and Sandy, but I figured Dally might be up for a game of pool or something. Once I got there, I saw this woman and I guess my drunk brain fell in love with her. Man, was she gorgeous. I tried flirting with her but she wasn't giving me the time of day, so I put some change in the jukebox and made a grand gesture. And to think, I never even got her number..." Two-Bit trailed off, thinking of the woman from the bar.</p><p>"Two-Bit, that woman was old enough to be your mother. In fact, I think she may be older than your mother," Darry said, "And she wasn't the least bit interested in you. Entertained, maybe, but not interested. You would've seen that if you wasn't so drunk."</p><p> "Yessir," Two-Bit sighed.</p><p>"I've told all you boys this before--If you're gonna go to Buck's, you gotta keep your wits about you. It's far too rough of a place to be losing your head. You're lucky that lady's husband didn't come in and crack your skull." </p><p>"Dally was there," Two-Bit said.</p><p>"Dallas would not be able to save you if things got ugly!" Darry barked, "And what if the police had raided the place? You think you could've avoided the fuzz as drunk as you were?"</p><p>"Prob'ly not," Two-Bit shrugged. He knew Darry was pretty lenient about this stuff, but that he shouldn't push his luck. Mr. Curtis wouldn't have tolerated any of them getting wasted, but Darry had confessed that he'd feel like a hypocrite banning them from getting drunk. He was a month shy of 21, and though he didn't drink much, he still had a couple beers on occasion. Plus, he'd been drunk a few times before, back when his parents were still alive and he didn't have so many responsibilities. His rule was mostly that if you're gonna get drunk, you gotta be safe about it. And Ponyboy wasn't allowed anything till he turned 16, but that was another story. </p><p>"You're not going to Buck's for the next month. I'll take you there today to settle your tab, but after that I don't want you anywhere near that place. No drinking next two weeks either. I'm not grounding you to our place, but it will not bode well for your backside if I find out you're out getting drunk."</p><p>"Hell, if I can't get drunk, I might as well stick around your place anyway," Two-Bit joked.</p><p>"I'm letting the hangover and the chores you did today be punishment enough for how drunk and out of control you got last night," Darry said, ignoring the wisecrack, "But for being that drunk at Buck's and for not listening to me when I told you to stay home, I'm gonna whup you."</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit sighed, just wanting to get the licking over with at this point.</p><p>"Go get me the spoon," Darry instructed. Two-Bit was surprised at that. He'd expected the belt, but he certainly wasn't going to complain. As he got up to retrieve the spoon, he remembered the six pairs of underwear he was wearing. Oh shit! If Darry was planning to take him over his knee, there's no way the jeans were staying up. Walking toward the kitchen, he tried to think of something he could say to get him out of this.</p>
<hr/><p>Darry sat down on the couch and watched as Two-Bit walked back into the living room like a man on death row. Darry rolled his eyes. The boys could get quite dramatic when they were about to get a whupping. If Darry didn't know any better, he'd say that Two-Bit was walking a little funny. Not quite the just-been-spanked walk, but similar. Almost like his pants were too tight or something. </p><p>"Jeans off," Darry said as Two-Bit handed over the spoon. </p><p>"What if you just gave me a belt licking but let me keep my pants up?" Two-Bit said. That was a new one. Usually they were pleading <em>not </em>to get the belt. </p><p>"Since when are you shy?" Darry asked, "You walk around here half naked all the time."</p><p>"Uh, I'm not," Two-Bit said, "I just wanted to keep 'em up this time is all."</p><p>"Well, I want you to take them down," Darry replied</p><p>"C'mon, please?" Two-Bit asked.</p><p>"No," Darry repeated, starting to really get suspicious now.</p><p>"Pretty please?"</p><p>"Enough. You know good and well you don't choose your punishment, Keith," Darry scolded, losing patience with this whole thing. He snagged Two-Bit by the belt loop and pulled him closer, unbuttoning the kid's jeans and trying to pulling them down. When they didn't come easily, he grabbed by the jeans by the sides and tugged. He was surprised when not only did the pants come down, but two pairs of underwear were dragged along with it, and it still looked like Two-Bit was wearing quite a few more pairs. </p><p>"Care to explain?" Darry asked, leaning back and biting his lip to keep from laughing. The kid looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. </p><p>"Uhh not really," Two-Bit said. Darry usually wouldn't let him get away with a smart ass remark like that, but in that moment, he couldn't completely keep his stern facade. </p><p>"What'd you do, run home and get a bunch of underwear?" Darry said.</p><p>"No, I stole Sodapop's," Two-Bit said, his face flushing red. </p><p>"Jesus, kid, you are something else," Darry said, shaking his head and sobering up a bit.</p><p>"Seemed like a good idea at the time," Two-Bit shrugged</p><p>"Yeah, well, seems like a lot of shit you do seems like a good idea at the time," Darry said, "You know I gotta add something to the whupping, right?"</p><p>"Yeah," Two-Bit sighed.</p><p>"Turn to the side," Darry ordered, shifting Two-Bit to where he wanted him. Reaching Two-Bit's butt at this position would be pretty awkward, plus he still had on a few pairs of underwear, but his legs were right at smacking level. </p><p>"How many pairs of underwear did you have on?" He asked. </p><p>"Uh, six..." Two-Bit said nervously.</p><p>"Alright then," Darry said, slapping the back of Two-Bit's left thigh. He landed five more smacks in quick succession, alternating legs as he went. Two-Bit danced a little in place as he went put stayed mostly put. </p><p>"Next time I won't be so nice," Darry warned, shifting fully back into punishment mode, "Now, bend over."</p><p>Once Two-Bit had climbed over Darry's knee, Darry confirmed that four pairs of underwear were still on the kid's ass. He wanted to trust that the kid gave him the right number, but it was clear Two-Bit wasn't above sneaking his way out of a punishment. Tapping Two-Bit's hip, Darry signaled for the kid to lift himself up so that Darry could pull the remaining underwear down. It took a little bit more maneuvering than usual, but he pushed three of the pairs clean off, leaving the last pair around the kid's knees so they'd be easier to get back up later. </p><p>Darry wrapped arm around Two-Bit's waist and patted the kid's butt once in warning before delivering a loud smack. They'd been in this position before and they both knew the score. Darry would use his hand make sure he was good and sorry and then break out the spoon to drive the message home. He just smacked silently for a moment, letting the heat build up before starting to lecture. </p><p>"I don't appreciate you not doing as I tell you," Darry lectured, "I know you're eighteen and you think you're pretty much grown, but you're still my kid brother. I'm gonna keep telling you what to do until you've got enough sense that I don't need to anymore."</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit said, and Darry could hear the strain his voice. He always hated having to cause his brothers any pain, but Two-Bit could've easily gotten jumped or a knife pulled on him last night, and that would do a hell of a lot more damage than a sore ass. </p><p>"I know I'm just your self-appointed big brother, not your old man," Darry said, "Which is why I don't say nothing when you go out and get drunk and end up on our couch or stay out later than I think you should, but I gotta draw the line in the sand somewhere. You're gonna get yourself killed if you don't start using your head."</p><p>Darry continued to smack Two-Bit's backside as he gave the kid time to process his words. He was going easy by not taking a belt to Two-Bit's backside, but that didn't mean this was gonna be a walk in the park. The kid was gonna learn to stop risking his fool neck one way or another.</p><p>When Darry heard Two-Bit start to let out little noises of pain with each smack, he started to lecture again, saying "I don't tell you boys things just to hear myself talk."</p><p>"But your voice is just so melodic, Dar," Two-Bit shot back. Darry could feel the kid tense over his knee as soon as he said the words, like he hadn't meant to say anything. That seemed to be a relatively common phenomenon with Two-Bit.</p><p>"That's one," Darry said, smacking the bottom part of the kid's butt hard. Two-Bit could never seem to hold his tongue when he was getting spanked, so Darry had come up with a way to address it. He got two warnings, but if he got to three, Two-Bit would be spending some time sitting on his sore butt. Four meant a one page essay on whatever topic Darry assigned was added on. Any past that meant an extra page tacked onto the essay. So far, Two-Bit hadn't made it past four. </p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit yelped at the hard smack. Darry resumed delivering moderate spanks until his brother was starting to squirm over his knee. The backside over his knee was turning bright pink by then. </p><p>"You're the oldest of all the boys. I should be able to trust you to set a good example," Darry lectured. Two-Bit sometimes tried to be an example of misbehavior, teaching Ponyboy and Johnny, and even Sodapop and Steve sometimes, how to play stupid jokes and steal shit without getting caught, but Darry knew he would be crushed if any of them followed his lead into real trouble. </p><p>"You can trust me, Dar," Two-Bit cried, and Darry could tell that the kid really wanted him believe it. Darry wanted to believe it too. </p><p>"You do a pretty good job of looking after the younger boys," Darry admitted, "But you can't seem to use your head when it comes to keeping yourself safe. Next time you get it into your head to do something stupid, I want you to remember everything that happened today-- the hangover, the chores, and now the spanking--and think long and hard about if it's all worth it."</p><p>With that, Darry picked up the spoon and started blistering Two-Bit's butt with it. Sometimes, he'd just use his wrist to make the spoon only sting but not today. No, today he was putting some muscle behind the swats. He wanted Two-Bit to remember this each time he sat down for a little while. Darry knew he was well within reason to use his belt, it's what any father in their neighborhood would've done, including his own, but damnit did he hate doling out a whipping. He was pretty sure he could get his point across loud and clear with just the makeshift paddle.</p><p>"Oww, Darry, I'm sorryyyy," Two-Bit cried after a minute of solid wallops.</p><p>"Glad to hear it," Darry said simply, pulling Two-Bit in tighter against him to control his squirming. He knew he could pin Two-Bit's legs with his own, a move he'd done when Ponyboy had been wiggling like crazy and Darry hadn't wanted to add any more on for it, but he hated doing that. This wasn't just about pinning him down and wailing on him. Darry didn't spank his brothers because he was bigger and stronger and he could. He spanked because they needed to learn whatever lesson he was trying to teach them. Holding them down too much made him feel like a big bully. </p><p>"Won't do it again! " Two-Bit promised through tears, "C'mon, Dar, can't we be done?"</p><p>Darry had to harden his heart. Two-Bit was always a talker, getting whupped or not, but Darry found it hard to ignore his pleas.</p><p>"Almost there now, kid," Darry reassured before landing ten more hard smacks, all directed to Two-Bit's sit spots and upper thighs. Two-Bit hollered and protested, but Darry made it quick and finally they were done. He tossed the spoon to the side and started rubbing Two-Bit's shoulders. When it seemed like the kid had calmed down a little, Darry helped him shimmy his briefs back up his legs and over his backside. Two-Bit whined a little bit when the waistband first reached his sore legs, but obediently raised his hips to help Darry get him dressed.</p><p>"You took that well, kiddo," Darry said, "You can get up whenever you're ready." Slowly, Two-Bit climbed off Darry's lap and stood in front of him rubbing his butt. Darry didn't fault the kid for that. He knew he'd been thorough. </p><p>"I only got to one this time," Two-Bit said with a watery smile. It always amazed Darry how fast Two-Bit bounced back after getting his butt whupped. Darry had always wanted to sulk a little, lick his wounds, sorta like Dallas. Ponyboy and Johnny were clingy after a spanking, needing reassurance. Sodapop would sometimes be clingy too, but he'd be cracking jokes right while he was sitting in Darry's lap. Steve was sort of in the middle between Dally and the younger boys. He always gladly accepted a hug, but he needed to feel sorry for himself for a bit before he'd be his usual wiseass self.  </p><p>"It's a miracle," Darry laughed, "Maybe next time, try for zero,"</p><p>"Just trying to add a little humor into your life, Superman," Two-Bit replied, "You don't gotta be all serious all the time."</p><p>"I oughta make you put all those pairs of underwear back on, see how serious I am then," Darry said, but with no heat behind it, grabbing the kid in a hug.</p><p>"I think that's double jeopardy!" Two-Bit whined in his shoulder.</p><p>"It's not," Darry laughed, letting him go, "But I'm glad to see something they're teaching you is finally sticking."</p><p>"By the time I finish my third junior year, I'll be an egg head, you'll see," Two-Bit laughed.</p><p>"You better not be having a third junior year," Darry said, raising in eyebrow at Two-Bit. The kid was currently repeating his junior year and Darry had made it his mission to see him graduate. If the kid had to get a job, it would be one thing, but his mom was working too hard to support them to not have her son graduate. </p><p>"Nah, I'm gettin bored of it. Figured I'd give senior year a try. Can't promise I won't like it so much I wanna stick it around at do it again."</p><p>"Boy, you are not getting held back anymore. You're gonna graduate, even if I have to paddle you right across the stage."</p><p>"Jesus, you would do that, wouldn't you?"</p><p>"Yep. Now, c'mon, we gotta go to Buck's to settle your tab," Darry said, grabbing the kid's jeans off the floor and handing them to him.</p><p>"Aww, really?" Two-Bit complained, "You're gonna make me sit in the truck after you roasted my ass?"</p><p>"Yeah, and I'm gonna make sure I hit all the bumps too," Darry teased, before turning serious again, "And I wanna let Buck know to call me if you show up in the next month."</p><p>Two-Bit snorted, "What makes you think he's gonna turn away a paying customer?"</p><p>"Well," Darry said, flexing his arm muscles, "I can be pretty persuasive."</p><p>Two-Bit smiled ruefully, rubbing his backside, "You don't have to tell me that, Superman."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Steve and Johnny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We already know from the book that Steve gives Johnny one lecture, so why not another?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a cold morning in Tulsa and Johnny didn't have his jacket. He'd made the mistake of tossing it on the couch the night before and now his old man was passed out on top of it. There was no way in heck that Johnny was gonna try to move him, so he set off to school in just his t-shirt. As he got to the school parking lot, he ran into Steve. </p><p>"Johnny Randle Cade, where is your jacket?" Steve asked and Johnny shrunk back a little. Johnny didn't have a middle name, so it was a joke in the gang to just add whatever middle name they wanted to address him. Mostly it was used for pretend scolding, like when Two-Bit told him 'You better mind your manners, Johnny Sodapop Cade,' in mock dismay after Johnny flipped him the bird.  Today, though, Johnny wasn't so sure it was a joke.</p><p>"My old man was sleeping on top of it and I didn't want to wake him up," Johnny said, chewing on one of his fingernails. His parents were always screaming at him and he'd learned to tune it out, but somehow it killed him when any one of the gang was the least bit stern with him.</p><p>"You live four houses down from the Curtises. Why didn't you go borrow a sweatshirt from one of them? I mean Jesus, kid--" Steve lectured, only being cut off when the warning bell rung.</p><p>"We'll talk about this after school," Steve said, shrugging off his jean jacket and handing it to Johnny.</p><p>"Nah, I can't take your jacket, man," Johnny said, "You're gonna be cold."</p><p>"Evie's always stealing my sweatshirts. I'm willing to bet she's got one in her locker right now," Steve said. Johnny sighed and put the jacket on, rolling the too long sleeves up. He didn't really think all this fussing was necessary, but he didn't want to upset Steve further. </p><p>"Thanks, Steve."</p><p>"No problem, kid. It looks good on you," Steve replied, his tone softer than before, "Meet me here after school, okay? We'll go pick up your jacket and go to the Dingo or something."</p><p>"Yeah, okay,"</p><p>"Now, c'mon, we better haul ass. I got gym first period and I don't wanna start the day out by grabbing my ankles."</p><p>Johnny forced a laugh and followed Steve into the school before they parted ways for their first class. Throughout the day, Johnny tried to put the incident with Steve out of his mind but he just couldn't. 'We'll talk about this more school' echoed in his head all day long. Steve was only a year older than him, but was two years above in school, since Johnny had been held back. That put Ponyboy, who was a year ahead in school, and him both in ninth grade, so the gang always lumped them together as the little kids. Johnny didn't mind it. In fact, he kinda liked that he had five big brothers to watch out for him. The only problem with looking up to the older guys so much was that it really got to him when one of them scolded him.   </p><p>He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that his history teacher, Mrs. Hansen, threatened to send him down to the vice principal's office if he didn't shape up. Mr. Wright swung a mean paddle and while Johnny didn't think he'd get it just for day dreaming, he didn't want to find out. He'd been there once after fighting with some Socs. They'd thrown the first punch, hitting Johnny in the side of the face, but that apparently didn't matter. Johnny left school that day with a sore jaw and a sore ass. </p><p>Johnny knew that his brothers, other than Ponyboy, who was pretty well behaved in school, and Dally, who'd never shown up to school as long as Johnny had known him, were well acquainted with Mr. Wright's paddle. Darry sometimes tried to pretend that he'd never misbehaved in school, but Two-Bit had some dirt to share. Apparently the golden boy had gotten a few paddlings in his day, mostly for getting into fights. The other boys were no better. Between skipping school, pulling practical jokes, and just not knowing when to shut up, Two-Bit practically lived in the vice principal's office. He'd once bragged that he was there so much that Mr. Wright had a special paddle just for him, but Johnny didn't believe it. Soda and Steve had been sent there a few times together for disrupting class, and since Soda had dropped out, Steve had been sent there once by himself for back-talking a teacher. </p><p>Johnny had seen Darry lecture the boys for getting paddled at school before, and even whup them if it was for something real bad, so he hadn't been itching to tell him when he got paddled himself. Darry figured it out anyway, of course, but he believed Johnny when he said it wasn't him who started it. No, Darry was about ready to storm down to the school and give Mr. Wright a piece of his mind. Johnny assured him that it wasn't necessary, leaving out that he'd probably die of embarrassment if Darry went in there and kicked up a fuss. When he finally calmed down, Darry gave Johnny a mild swat and an admonishment not to hide things from him, but reassured him that he wasn't mad at him one bit. </p><p>Johnny had skipped lunch that day, telling Ponyboy he needed to make up an assignment, but was really just hiding from Steve. A part of him felt that he was being stupid. He knew Steve wouldn't hurt him and probably wouldn't even be really mad at him. He tried to tell himself that Steve was just worried about him, like how Darry was always fussing at Ponyboy, but he had a hard time believing it. Why would anybody worry about him, anyway?</p><p>After school, Johnny tried to convince himself to go face Steve. He knew he'd have to face him eventually but he really, really didn't want Steve to yell at him, or worse, be disappointed in him. Johnny just couldn't will himself to go to the parking lot where Steve was waiting. He tried to delay the inevitable by going to the bathroom, straightening up his locker, really anything he could do. When the high school really started to get empty, Johnny made the decision that it was better for  him to just go home. He'd avoid Steve for a few days and everything would go back to normal. Johnny was sure of it. Making up his mind, he went over to Steve's locker and shoved the jacket inside. It wasn't <em>that</em> cold out anymore and Steve would probably want it back. </p><p>Slipping out the back door, Johnny took off for home, confident that he'd made the right choice. He was bummed that he couldn't hang out with the guys that night, not wanting to risk running into Steve, but it was better than facing him. Johnny faced enough anger and resentment at home that he didn't need it from the guys. He tried to convince himself Steve was probably regretting their plan to meet up in he parking lot anyway. That Steve would be relieved when Johnny didn't show up so he could hang out with Evie or Soda instead. </p>
<hr/><p>Meanwhile, Steve had gotten himself near into a panic. He'd waited practically a half hour in the school parking lot for the kid. When Johnny didn't show up, Steve had driven over to the Dingo to see if maybe he'd gotten his wires crossed, and was supposed to meet his friend there. He asked around but nobody had seen Johnny there that afternoon. He checked the Curtis house, but nobody was home yet. He checked Johnny's folk's house, the lot, the DX, anywhere he could think of. At this point he was sure Johnny had been jumped.</p><p>'If the kid ain't already hurting, he's gonna be soon when I whup his backside,' Steve thought grimly. Finally, he went by the park and found Johnny sitting on the swing, again without a jacket, kicking up dirt with his tennis shoe.</p><p>"Johnny Cade, where have you been?" Steve hollered, leaning over and throwing the passenger door open, "I've been looking all over creation for you. And why the hell are you not wearing a jacket?"</p><p>"Thought Evie might want yours back so I stuck it in your locker," Johnny shrugged, "I went home but then my folks were both there so I came out here."</p><p>"I was waiting for you in the parking lot. We were supposed to go to the Dingo, remember?"</p><p>Johnny shrugged, "Thought you might still be mad at me."</p><p>Oh, for the love of God.</p><p>"What?" Steve demanded, "Because of the jacket? I was just gonna nag you about taking better care of yourself, that's all."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>Oh? That's all the kid had to say?</p><p>"Get in," Steve ordered, forcing himself to gentle his tone, "We'll talk about it at the house."</p><p>Johnny didn't seem pretty keen to get into the car, but he did what he was told. Steve drove them the short way to the Curtis house and parked the car. He hopped out and walked inside, assuming Johnny would follow him inside.</p><p>"Hey guys, whatcha up to?" Ponyboy asked when they walked in the living room. Damnit! Darry and Soda were still at work, and Steve had been hoping the house would still be empty. He'd forgotten that Darry wasn't too keen on Ponyboy going out on school nights. Steve really didn't want to deal with Ponyboy. He liked the kid, he did, but Ponyboy could also be a pain in his ass sometimes. Same as any fourteen year old brother, Steve supposed, but he had another kid brother to focus on right then. </p><p>"None of your concern," Steve muttered, guiding Johnny by the shoulder towards the bedrooms.</p><p>"What's going on?" Pony said, jumping up, preventing them from going any further. God, Steve was not in the mood for this shit. </p><p>"Ponyboy, me and Johnny got some things to settle between us. I know this is your house, so I ain't gonna try and kick you out of the living room, but me and Johnny are gonna have a chat in y'all's room and I want you to stay out here."</p><p>"Anything you can say to Johnny, you can say in front of me!" Pony argued, "I'm not gonna let you bully him."</p><p>"I'm fine, Pony, really," Johnny said.</p><p>"No you're not! You look scared shitless!" Ponyboy said before turning to Steve, "And you're just a big jerk for making him feel like that!" </p><p>"Johnny's nervous because I ain't pleased with him right now, but he'll be fine," Steve offered, "We're just gonna talk a bit, nothin' else."</p><p>"You can talk out here," Ponyboy said, apparently unwilling to let Johnny out of his sight. Steve felt like reminding Pony that he was the baby of the family, not Johnny, but decided against it. He didn't need the kid throwing a fit because he was called a baby. </p><p>"I ain't gonna argue with you about this, Ponyboy," Steve said instead, "Stop back-sassing me and stay in the living room or I'll stick you in the corner till Darry gets home. You know how he feels about you not listening."</p><p>"You wouldn't!" </p><p>"Try me."  </p><p>"Fine," Ponyboy said, standing down.</p><p>"Thank you." Steve replied, glad he wasn't gonna have to fight the kid any further. </p><p>"You're not gonna beat him up, are you?" Ponyboy asked, more subdued but still eyeing him warily. </p><p>"No, Ponyboy, I'm not gonna beat him up. Why would I bring him all the way back here and take him into your bedroom just to pound on him?" Steve said, rolling his eyes. Where did the kid get these ideas? Steve was much more likely to wallop him than jump him, and he didn't even think he had the heart to do that. </p><p>"You better not." Well, Pony was right about that. He'd probably get his throat sliced by Dally, Two-Bit, or Darry, if he ever hurt Johnny. Hell, even Soda would probably beat the living shit out of him.</p><p>"C'mon, kid, let's go talk," Steve said to Johnny, who we could tell was trying to blend into the background during the argument. Johnny was always a little skittish during arguments, probably from seeing his folks go at it all the time. Steve lead the kid into the bedroom and gestured for him to take a seat on Ponyboy and Sodapop's bed.</p><p>"You mad at me?" Johnny asked, peering up through his eyelashes at Steve. Jesus, the kid looked like a kicked puppy.</p><p>"No, Johnny, I ain't mad," Steve replied, "Frustrated, maybe a little hurt, but not mad."</p><p>"You were hurt?" Johnny, looking confused. </p><p>"Yeah, Johnny, a little bit. I didn't think you were so afraid of me."</p><p>"I'm not!" Johnny protested, "I just..."</p><p>"You just what?" Steve asked, prompting Johnny to finish.</p><p>"I just thought it would be easier on both of us if you didn't show. Then you could get over being mad at me about the jacket thing and we could just go back to being buddies."</p><p>"Johnnycake, we never stopped being buddies," Steve said, sitting down on the bed next to him, "I was only a little upset and even that was because I worry about you."</p><p>"You worry about me?" Johnny asked timidly.</p><p>"Yeah, of course I do. If I didn't worry about you, I wouldn't care if you didn't wear a jacket. That's why I was fussing at you this morning."</p><p>"Oh," Johnny replied softly. Glory, getting him to talk was like pulling teeth. </p><p>"You know why I'm upset now, though?"</p><p>"'Cause you had to waste your afternoon hunting for me."</p><p>"Hey, look at me," Steve snapped, a little more harshly than he expected, "You are not a waste of time. Sure, I woulda preferred spending the afternoon hanging out at the Dingo with ya instead of driving all over creation, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat if there was a chance you were in trouble."</p><p>Steve paused and Johnny just nodded, like he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.</p><p>"The reason why I'm upset now is because you left without telling me," Steve continued, "I was worried that you'd been jumped or something. I mean, damn Johnny, it's happened before! And, I'm also pretty annoyed that you weren't wearing a jacket <em>again.</em>"</p><p>"But I--"</p><p>"I know, you thought I wanted it back, which is why I wanted to talk to you in the first place. You don't take your own safety seriously. I don't want you catching a bug because you didn't wear a damn jacket."</p><p>"It wasn't that cold," Johnny mumbled.</p><p>"I didn't see nobody else in just a t-shirt today," Steve responded, "But even then, if you thought I was mad at ya, it probably wasn't a good idea to go and do the thing I was mad at you for, huh?"</p><p>"I guess not."</p><p>"No, it's not. I know you got it rough at home, so you gotta ask for help when you need it. Any one of us would've lent you a jacket if you'd have asked. You know if you had stayed over here last night, Darry sure wouldn't have let you out the door till you put on one of Soda or Ponyboy's jackets."</p><p>"Yeah, probably not,"</p><p>"No, sure as hell he wouldn't. Now, I wasn't gonna do anything other than give you that lecture, but since you did it again, and you tried to run away from me, I think I gotta do something else."</p><p>"You talking about whupping me?"</p><p>"Not gonna lie to you, I was ready to beat your behind when I found you in the park, but I don't think it's necessary, <em>this time."</em></p><p>Johnny grimaced and Steve felt a bit of grim satisfaction at that, hoping it meant that the kid wouldn't pull this again. </p><p>"I want you to sit at the table till Darry gets home, consider it a time-out. Then you can tell him all about your little adventure today."</p><p>"Aw c'mon, Steve."</p><p>"Nope, no arguments, kiddo. I'll try to get Darry not to pop you or nothing, but if he wants to lecture you some more, that's on you."</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Johnny agreed.</p><p>"C'mon, let's go," Steve said, getting up and opening the door. He was surprised when a scrawny fourteen year old fell face first at his feet. Steve immediately hauled Pony up by his arm and smacked his backside twice. </p><p>"Hey!" Ponyboy said once he'd been released, rubbing his butt. </p><p>"I told you to stay in the living room," Steve scolded, "Not be listening at the door."</p><p>"Wanted to make sure you wasn't saying nothing bad to him!"</p><p>"And did I?" Steve asked sternly, glaring down at Ponyboy.</p><p>"No, sir." Steve snorted at that. Ponyboy had never called him 'sir' before, but apparently the kid had enough self preservation to be respectful just then. </p><p>"You hear anything?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Yeah, pretty much the whole thing."</p><p>"Then you know that Johnny is gonna be sitting at the table to wait for Darry," Steve said, "And now you get to join him."</p><p>Ponyboy looked like he was gonna argue, but Steve raised an eyebrow and he shut his mouth, probably realizing that Steve wouldn't hesitate to pop him again</p><p>"Yessir," Pony replied.</p><p>"Alright, both of you, go sit down," Steve ordered. He knew Darry would probably be home in under an hour, so the punishment wasn't all that harsh. Looking over at his brothers, he couldn't help feeling bad for Johnny. He knew the kid took it hard when he was in trouble. Steve didn't feel as bad for Ponyboy, though. Darry or Sodapop stuck him in the corner practically every other day so he knew that being sat at the table wasn't out of the ordinary. And, he'd specifically told Pony to stay in the living room. God, why did both kids want to test him today?</p><p>Steve settled in to wait for Darry. He wanted to go outside and work on the car, but he figured he better not leave the two troublemakers alone. Not having much else to do, he started on his English homework, glancing up every few minutes to make sure the boys were staying put. Ponyboy seemed just bored, drumming his fingers against the table. Johnny was the one who looked nervous. Steve had meant it when he said he'd try to talk Darry out of punishing Johnny, but they all knew that Darry could still deliver one hell of a lecture.</p><p>When Darry walked through the door forty minutes later, Ponyboy had his head down on the table and Johnny was staring down at his lap. </p><p>"What'd I miss?" Darry said, turning to Steve. </p><p>"Let them tell you," Steve replied. Both boys looked at each other then back to Steve for direction. "Johnny, you go first. Tell Darry what happened today."</p><p>Johnny explained the whole story quickly. Steve was impressed by the way he didn't mumble or stammer, just told what happened. He clearly wasn't happy about being in trouble, but he didn't look as afraid of Darry as he used to. When Johnny got to the part about ditching Steve, he did get a little quieter, but Steve understood that. He knew Johnny didn't feel particularly bad about the jacket thing but felt guilty about making Steve worry. Johnny finished by explaining how Steve lectured him and made him sit at the table. </p><p>"Stevie give you a pretty good talking-to?" Darry asked once Johnny was finished.</p><p>"Yessir." </p><p>"You do any more than just talk?" Darry asked Steve. He didn't look upset, just curious.</p><p>"I hollered at him a little when I found him in the park but I didn't pop him or nothing. Didn't think he needed it. Still don't," Steve replied honestly, hoping Darry would agree with him.</p><p>"Okay," Darry replied, turning back to Johnny, "Johnny, come here." He he pointed to the spot in front of him and Johnny stood up hesitantly and walked over to the other side of the table. Darry had taken a seat while Johnny told his story, so it looked an awful lot like Darry was gonna pull the kid over his knee. Steve felt awful about that.</p><p>"Dar--" Steve tried, but Darry held up a finger to silence him.  He'd been pretty pissed when he found the kid, but now that he'd calmed down, he didn't want to see Johnny get spanked. Darry pulled Johnny to stand between his spread knees and took the kid's hands in his own.</p><p>"You understand why Steve was upset with you today and why he punished you?"</p><p>"Yessir." Johnny mumbled, his earlier confidence seemingly gone.</p><p>"I'm inclined to let this go but I don't want to hear about you disobeying your big brothers or running off on them again. You dig?" </p><p>"Really, Dar?" Johnny said, a smile lighting up his face, "I mean, yessir, I won't do it again."</p><p>"I'm gonna hold you to that," Darry said before pulling Johnny to sit in his lap. Apparently Darry could tell as much as Steve could that Johnny needed some extra reassurance. </p><p>"And how do you fit into all this, Ponyboy?" Darry said, settling Johnny sideways on his lap.</p><p>"Because Steve made me sit here for no reason! He even popped me too. Twice!"</p><p>"That true, Steve?" Darry said, badly hiding a smirk.</p><p>"Nope," Steve said, barely resisting the urge to go over and pop him again.</p><p>"Do me a favor and spank him for me for lying then. We're comfy here." Darry said with a wink, wrapping his arms around Johnny. Steve knew Darry wasn't actually serious, but was definitely on board for teasing Ponyboy. He walked over to Pony and made like he was gonna haul him out of the chair. </p><p>"Wait, no, I'll tell you!" Pony cried, "I was eavesdropping at the door after Steve told me to stay in the living room."</p><p>"Ponyboy Michael Curtis, how many times have I gotten after you about eavesdropping?" Darry scolded, turning serious now that he'd heard the confession. </p><p>"A lot."</p><p>"Yeah, a lot. And I don't like you disobeying Steve much neither. Since both of you did that today it seems like we should have a family meeting about the pecking order around here." </p><p>Ponyboy and Steve both groaned at that. Family meeting was code for a long lecture from Darry. Johnny didn't say anything but he paled at the idea of a family meeting being called to discuss his bad behavior.</p><p>"Alright, alright," Darry acquiesced, "No family meeting as long as you two remember that you're supposed to mind Sodapop, Two-Bit and Steve when I'm not around. Dally too, long as he's not leading you into trouble."</p><p>"Yessir," they both replied. Steve couldn't help but throw a smirk Ponyboy's way.</p><p>"Steve has permission to whup your behind if you disobey him again," Darry said, before turning to Steve, "Don't make me regret that."</p><p>"Yessir," Steve said. He was still smirking at Ponyboy but part of him was also proud that Darry trusted him enough to handle his kid brothers. </p><p>"Seems like in a forgiving mood today, so I'm gonna let you off with a warning today, Pone," Darry said, and Pony visibly relaxed in his chair, "But I'm telling you now, you eavesdrop again and  I'm gonna beat your bottom good. Understand?"</p><p>"Yeah, Dar, thanks," Ponyboy replied. </p><p>"Alright, I better get started on dinner," Darry said, tapping Johnny's side to let him know to hop off his lap. He pulled out his wallet and handed Steve a dollar. "We're running low on milk. You and Johnny mind running to the store and getting some?"</p><p>"Sure, Darry," Steve said, recognizing that Darry was giving him and Johnny a way to clear any lingering tension, "C'mon, kid."</p><p>"Uh Pony, can I borrow a sweatshirt?" Johnny asked and Steve smiled at him. At least something he'd said had gotten through to the kid today.</p>
<hr/><p>After they'd walked in silence for a minute, Johnny felt Steve look over at him. He walked like he was always did, a little hunched over, arms shoved in his sweatshirt pockets. Johnny was small, but the way he carried himself made him seem even smaller. When Steve looked at him, he hunched in on himself even more.</p><p>"You know I ain't mad at you, right?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Yeah, I know," Johnny said, but he didn't quite believe himself.</p><p>"Liar," Steve said with a small laugh, "I ever tell you about the time I thought Darry was gonna hate me forever?"</p><p>"No." Johnny replied, surprised. He'd thought he'd heard every story the gang had to tell. They seemed to repeat their favorite ones over and over again.</p><p>"Okay, well and me and Soda were about twelve, which I guess would've made Darry about sixteen. He'd just stared driving and the two of us just loved going along for rides. You remember those days when Mr. Curtis would let Darry take us around the block in the bed of the truck?"</p><p>"Yeah," Johnny said, cracking a little smile at the memory of riding in Mr. Curtis' truck with Darry in the driver's seat.</p><p>"So Mrs. Curtis sent him to the Piggly Wiggly one day and we begged to go along with him. We thought we were so tuff riding around in a truck with our big brother. So he took us and how did we thank him? Well, we decided to try to swipe some gum from the store. We weren't very good at it and of course got busted. They guy who caught us asked if we were there with anybody. Soda told him that we were there with his older brother. So the guy called Darry over the loud speaker to come to the front of the store. Man, Darry was so pissed when he saw the cashier there holding us by the collars. When he found out what we did, he popped both of us right there in the store. I knew he'd spanked Soda before when he was babysitting, but that was the first time he'd ever popped me. I was so embarrassed! And he wasn't finished shopping, so he made us come with him and hold onto the cart like two little brats. Then he brought us home and made us tell Mr. Curtis what happened and me and Soda both got spanked."</p><p>"I actually think I remember that. I was over the house playing with Ponyboy when Darry marched you both inside. Me and Pony and Darry helped Mrs. Curtis unload the groceries while Mr. Curtis spanked y'all in the bedroom. I'd never been spanked by Mr. Curtis before and after that day I knew it was something I very much wanted to avoid. The sound of the smacks and you and Soda's wailing carried right into the kitchen."</p><p>"Ah, it wasn't that bad," Steve laughed,  "I think Darry spanks harder, but maybe that's just because we're older and get into worse shit."</p><p>"So why'd you think Darry was gonna hate you?"</p><p>"I don't know if you remember, but Darry was still pretty pissed when he brought us home. He didn't say a word to us in the store or in the car. Mr. Curtis had always forgiven us after we'd been punished, but as you well know, not everyone is like that."</p><p>Johnny thought about that. His own father didn't so much punish him as just beat on him for no apparent reason other than 'being a waste of space.' He sure never expected forgiveness from his father after a beating, but he'd probably die if Darry didn't forgive him after a spanking. He also knew Steve's old man wasn't a punish and forgive kind of father. It made sense to him that Steve would worry that Darry was still upset.</p><p> "Was he still mad?" Johnny asked.</p><p>"No, he wasn't. He'd apparently had a change of heart while he had to listen to us get whupped. I even suspected he'd been crying a little bit although I'd never ask him."</p><p>"Why was <em>he</em> crying?"</p><p>"I think he felt guilty for turning us in, even though he knew we deserved it. And you know what, kid, I'd feel just the same if Darry would've whupped you today."</p><p>"You would've?"</p><p>"Hell yeah! I never like it when you or Pone, even if he is a little shit sometimes, get put over Darry's knee. Don't like it when it happens to anyone Two-Bit or Dally neither but they're not my kid brothers. I don't get a chance to feel sorry for Soda since we're almost always getting it at the same time. But yeah kid, I woulda been kicking my own ass if I thought I was the reason you got punished.</p><p>Johnny nodded, trying to take in what Steve was saying. </p><p>"So do you believe me now that I ain't mad at you?" </p><p>"Yeah," Johnny said, blushing a little, "For real this time."</p><p>Johnny was surprised that he actually meant it. He'd been terrified of Steve's reaction all day, but now it felt like the air was finally cleared between them. He was content knowing that Steve thought of him as his kid brother. It was clear to him now that he should've just faced Steve in the beginning. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't run away or hide from his brothers again. </p><p>And he'd sure as heck wear his jacket too.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Shepard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is a little rougher, but hopefully it makes sense with the characters.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Curly took a long swig from the bottle before passing it to Ponyboy. He, Ponyboy, and Johnny were hanging in the lot, sharing the finest bottle of whiskey $3 could buy. He hadn't told the other boys that he was bringing a bottle when they made plans to meet up, but Ponyboy didn't seem too upset about it. Johnny kept checking over his shoulder, as if someone was gonna catch them there, but he still joined in with minimal persuasion. They hadn't been drinking for long. Curly was no lightweight and Ponyboy and Johnny had had about one shot between the two of them, so for the moment they were all stone cold sober. </p><p>"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?" Darry roared and Curly almost fell off the rock he was sitting on. He hadn't seen the oldest Curtis approaching until he was right there, ripping the bottle from Ponyboy's hands. Darry poured the entire bottle straight out on the ground before pitching it into the woods.</p><p>"What the fuck, Curtis?" Curly cried in protest. It had taken some of Angela's best flirting to get that bottle.</p><p>"You better stuff it 'fore I forget you're Tim's kid brother," Darry said, sending such a glare that even Curly shrunk back. "Who's idea was this?"</p><p>They all stayed silent, not ratting Curly out. That was good. It meant Curly wasn't gonna have to dish out any beatings in the school parking lot tomorrow. </p><p>"Anyone gonna fess up or am I gonna have to persuade you?" Darry asked, rolling up his sleeves.</p><p>Again, radio silence.</p><p>"Well, okay," Darry said, grabbing Ponyboy by the arm and hauling him into standing position. As Darry lifted his arm, he glared at Curly in a way that made Curly sure he knew who it was. Damnit!</p><p>"Alright, man, it was me. I brought the fucking bottle!" Curly said, before Darry could smack Ponyboy, relieved when Darry dropped his arm and released Ponyboy. Both Johnny and Ponyboy looked at him like he'd grown a second head. Guess they weren't used to anyone being wise with Darry. </p><p>"That true?" Darry asked. Both Pony and Johnny hesitated but Curly nodded at them. The jig was up anyway.</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny and Ponyboy responded at nearly the same time.</p><p>"You both drink?" Darry asked, and Curly suddenly felt like he was interrupting a family moment. He didn't try to leave though. He knew Curtis would probably pound him into the earth if he tried.  </p><p>Johnny and Ponyboy looked at each other before nodding. Darry seemed to study all three of them for a moment before grabbing Ponyboy again and smacking him twice on the ass. He pulled Johnny up by the arm and did the same to him. Curly couldn't help but snort. He knew Darry would call Tim and he'd be in for a belt licking, but at least he wasn't getting popped like a toddler for all to see. </p><p>"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. You and I both know damn well that Tim's gonna blister your backside when he hears about this."</p><p>"Fuck you, Curtis!" Curly cried, his temper getting the better of him. He immediately regretted his outburst when Darry turned to him looking ready to spit nails. The older man lifted Curly up like he weighed nothing and tucked him under his arm, holding him so his feet didn't reach the ground. Curly gasped when Darry's palm came down four times on his ass. Damn, Darry could hit harder than Tim!</p><p>"I'm gonna take Curly back to his place. You two head on home now," Darry ordered shifting Curly so he was under his arms like someone might carry textbooks at school. Not that Curly ever carried his books. Ponyboy and Johnny hesitated, still looking at the scene in front of them.</p><p>"Go on. I'll be there to beat your butts soon enough," Darry said sternly, "And tell Sodapop what happened if he's home." Johnny looked pale, like telling someone else was the last thing he wanted to do. Ponyboy grabbed his wrist and pulled him along. Darry didn't say another word to Curly, just marched them back to his truck, ignoring Curly's escape attempts. He practically threw Curly in the cab of the truck and slammed the door behind him.</p><p>"You try to get out and I'll tie you up," Darry threatened, looking at Curly through the open window. Curly knew he wasn't bluffing so he sank down in his sat and crossed his arms, hoping he didn't look too much like a pouting toddler. </p><p>"This is so fucking stupid," Curly said, kicking his foot against Darry's dashboard as Darry pulled onto the road.</p><p>"Don't kick my dashboard," Darry said flatly. The man's calm reaction igniting Curly's temper even more. He stomped his feet against the dash repeatedly until Darry pulled off the road.</p><p>"Put. Your. Feet. Down." Darry said, going deathly silent and looking Curly right in the eyes. Curly could feel the fury in Darry's light eyes, but he wasn't willing to back down. He knew he couldn't take Curtis in a fight, but at least a beating would be more dignified than allowing himself to be ordered around.</p><p>"See all these trees?" Darry asked when Curly didn't obey, "Plenty of switches around to use on the backsides of rude little boys who throw tantrums. If you don't want to feel one across your bare bottom, I suggest you mind me."</p><p>That got Curly to put his feet down. A fight was honorable. Darry licking him with a switch right in the middle of the street was not.</p><p>"Thank you," Darry said simply, pulling the car back onto the road. Curly resolved to stay quiet and avoid a whipping before Tim got a hold of him and whipped him again. </p>
<hr/><p>Tim spent the afternoon the same way he spent most, sharpening his knife and worrying about his kid brother and sister</p><p>His biggest worry was Curly. Like most days, he had no idea where the kid was or what he was up to. Tim just hoped the ankle-biter was keeping himself out of trouble. He'd just come back from a 90 day stint in the reformatory and Tim wasn't eager to see him sent back.  Curly served the entire 90 days, no time off for good behavior. Tim was pretty sure the little shit didn't even know what good behavior meant. If anything, reform school made him come back tougher, meaner. Tim tried to knock some sense into the kid, but really it was up to Curly whether or not he'd get his act together. Curly had a healthy respect for the belt, but Tim wasn't sure it was enough to keep the little runt from getting locked up again. He just hoped that he could get the kid to wisen up before he was 17 and facing real hard time.  The reformatory was one thing but the big house was another.  </p><p>He had less worries about his kid sister getting jailed. She was a tough little broad and was brighter than either him or Curly. Her main problem was all the JDs she was always hanging around with. It seemed like each week he caught her necking with another hood in the back of his car. Tim was too busy raising her and Curly to be raising no babies. Like Curly, she thought she was invincible. If she had a fight with a guy, she'd hop right out of his car and hitch home. Tim was always worried she'd get killed traipsing around at night by herself. </p><p>Yes, his kid brother and sister were a pair to beat a full house. Not that Tim was a saint, mind you. </p><p>'What'd the little fucker do now,' Tim thought, as he looked up from the knife to see Darry Curtis pulling up to the house with Curly in his truck.  He took a long drag on his cigarette, watching as Darry yanked Curly out of the cab. He knew whatever had happened had to be Curly's fault. His dumbass brother was always starting shit. Tim had to hand it to him, though, he wan't coming easily. Darry had to almost carry Curly across the lawn, one hand on the collar of his jacket, the other on the waist of  his jeans. Curly was flailing his arms and legs wildly to escape, but clearly Darry had the upper hand.</p><p>"Afternoon, Curtis," Tim greeted, putting out his cigarette as Darry dumped Curly face first on the grass at Tim's feet. Curly moved to get up but Tim was faster, putting his foot right on Curly's shoulder blades so he couldn't get up. It wasn't the first time Tim had used this move, so he knew how effective it was. Apparently Curly did too because he slumped down on the ground and cussed a blue streak but didn't try to get up. "What brings you by?"</p><p>"I caught your little rat brother getting some of my boys drunk."</p><p>"Which ones?" Tim asked digging his heel into Curly's back in warning.</p><p>Darry gave him a look that clearly said 'does it matter' but answered the question anyway. "My kid brother, Ponyboy, and his buddy, Johnny Cade."</p><p>Damn, so it was the little ones. While he wasn't thrilled about Curly drinking, he was much more concerned about destroying a relationship with their allies. He knew that Darry could be pretty protective over the young guys, and he was pretty sure the baby Curtis was only thirteen or so. If Darry beat the shit out of Curly, Tim would have to retaliate, the punk was his kid brother after all, and that could lead to a war. They'd already bopped with the Curtis gang once and had their asses handed to them. Tim wasn't eager to do it again. </p><p>"Curly, up," Tim said, snapping his fingers. He moved his foot and grabbed the little shit's bicep to help him up before taking his arms and pinning them behind his back. "You wanna sock him? I'll give you one for free. Any more than that you gotta go through me." It was the same way he let his men deal with Curly in situations like these and he really hoped it would appease Darry. </p><p>"I already got a few licks in, but those were just for being mouthy," Darry said, "I trust you'll be handling the rest." Darry gave him a knowing look and Tim nodded. Tim had walked to the Curtis house once to see Sodapop over Darry's knee and Two-Bit stuck in the corner. Darry had threatened that if he heard about any of Tim's boys teasing them about it, he'd personally break Tim's teeth. Tim's own 'parenting style' was revealed a few months later when he stormed into the Curtis house with Curly in tow in search of a belt to whup the kid with. Luckily for Curly, nobody but Darry was home and Tim was able to make use of their garage for a few minutes. </p><p>Tim breathed a sigh of relief that Curtis wasn't looking for a fight and let go of Curly's arms, grabbing him instead by the nape of the neck. He was really hoping that Darry wouldn't want to take him on, but it was better him than the kid. Whatever happened, Tim would take it out of his brother's ass later, but he respected Darry for not wanting to hit Curly. There was no honor in a twenty year old man beating up a fourteen year old punk. Tim didn't know if he'd be so honorable if he situation was reversed. </p><p>"Oh, he'll be well handled," Tim said, wryly, "He's gonna be squirming in his seat tomorrow."</p><p>"Oh, go fuck yourself, Tim," Curly said. Tim responded by squeezing the back of this neck so hard that Curly gasped.</p><p>Darry nodded. "He's not the only one."</p><p>"Thanks for bringing him here," Tim said, sticking his hand out to Darry.</p><p>"I'll let you handle your boys, long as you let me handle mine." Darry asked, squeezing Tim's hand just a bit too hard.</p><p>"Fine by me." Darry nodded and released Tim's hand. They both knew Tim was a man of his word. As long as any debts were paid, he'd let Darry deal with his own pack and Darry would do the same. Gang wise, Tim knew he probably got more out of the deal. His boys were wilder. The alliance between the two gangs was more likely to be tested by them than any of Curtis' boys. But Darry sure got something out of it too. Tim's cared about his men, but Darry's men were his brothers. Darry had the desperate need to protect all his boys the like Tim had for his kid sister, and though he'd never admit it, his kid brother. </p><p>"Oh, and let Dally know I'm handling this, will ya?" Tim asked. Dally and Tim got along well, when they weren't pummeling each other into the ground, but Tim knew Dally had a soft spot for the quiet kid. He didn't really feel like getting his tires slashed over this. </p><p>"Yeah, okay," Dally chuckled, walking away from the Shepards'. He still looked determined, which Tim figured was because Darry was headed home to whup some ass. Tim saw the way Darry carried Curly like a rag doll and knew he wouldn't want to trade places with those kids right now.</p><p>"Get inside," Tim barked, releasing Curly's neck but giving him a swift kick in the ass. Curly lurched forward like he was gonna fall, but caught himself. Tim couldn't make out what Curly was muttering under his breath, but he knew it wasn't friendly.</p><p>Their step-father, Jerry, was passed out on the living room floor, so Tim marched Curly into the bedroom they shared. Their old lady didn't seem to be home, not that it mattered anyway. She had already told Tim that it was up to him to keep his 'chicken shit brother and sister' alive. One of her more tender moments.</p><p>"Sit down," Tim said, pushing Curly by the shoulders so he had no choice but to obey.</p><p>"I don't see what the big fucking deal is," Curly complained, "It was just a little whiskey."</p><p>"The big fucking deal?" Tim asked incredulously, "The big fucking deal is you've been out of the reformatory for three goddamn months. Do you really wanna go back in already?"</p><p>Curly shrugged and Tim knew what he meant. Curly didn't particularly enjoy reform school, but part of him was proud of having a record so young. He was a good fighter, so he commanded respect from the other boys almost as soon as he arrived and didn't have to worry too much about getting jumped. The little brat mostly moaned that the food was bad, the beds hard, and the teachers fast and loose with the paddle. Tim knew that Curly's rap sheet would surpass his own by the time the kid hit sixteen if he didn't knock it the fuck off. </p><p>"And why in the hell did you have to drink with those boys? You know Darry Curtis only tolerates us at best and this ain't helping. We need them to have our back. I mean, come on, Curls! Don't you ever fucking think?"</p><p>Curly shrugged again and Tim slapped him upside the back of the head. </p><p>"This was your idea, wasn't it?" Tim asked. He was almost sure it was, but he believed in giving his boys a chance to tell their side <em>before</em> beating the shit out of them.</p><p>"Of course," Curly scoffed, seeming insulted at the prospect it wasn't, because of course it was. </p><p>"Where you get the bottle from?"</p><p>"Angela," Curly replied with a little smile that clearly said, 'if I'm going down, she's going down with me.' They loved throwing each other under the bus.</p><p>"Angela Marie Shepard," Tim hollered, adding a whistle at the end for good measure. </p><p>"Damn, Timmy, I ain't your dog," Angela grumbled, entering the boys' bedroom. Tim didn't waste any time before spinning her around by the arm and giving her three good smacks to the seat of her too short skirt. He also gave her a good slap to each of her exposed legs, figuring it would force her to put on some pants or at least a longer skirt. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.</p><p>"What the fuck was that for?" Angela complained.</p><p>"Don't be giving your kid brother booze. That's what the fuck that was for," Tim said, pointing a finger at her, "Do it again and I'll bend you over my goddamn knee."</p><p>They both knew that wasn't an idle threat. While Tim made Curly lie over the bed, he always bent Angela over his knee. He tried to tell himself that it was because Angela was feistier, and in that positon he could pin her legs, but it wasn't true. Even though she tried to act like one of the guys, she was still his baby sister. He'd always whupped Curly with his belt, but he mainly spanked Angela with his hand. Even the one time he'd whipped her, he did it with her over his knee and didn't use as much strength as he did with Curly. </p><p>"You told him?" Angela yelled, turning on Curly</p><p>"Payback for telling him about me smashing mailboxes last month."</p><p>"You deserved that beating!"</p><p>"Did not!" </p><p>Tim got fed up of his siblings arguing and let out an ear piercing whistle. "Enough, both of you. Get out of here, Angie."</p><p>"Damnit, I got a date tonight!" Angela cried, "How am I gonna explain these goddamn handprints?!"</p><p>"Easy," Tim said, "Don't be showing off your ass."</p><p>"This house is a fucking nightmare!" Angela yelled, stomping back to her room. Tim wasn't surprised. Angela never took her licks gracefully, but he'd yet to whomp on her for the same thing twice. </p><p>"Don't I know it!" Tim shot back, whipping around to his brother when he heard a small laugh. "You got something to say?"</p><p>"Just nice not to be the one on your shit list for once." </p><p>"Oh don't worry, you're still number one. Get in positon," Tim barked. </p><p>Tim watched Curly stood up. The kid was still trying to appear cocky but Tim could tell he was nervous. His brother thought of himself as a tough hood but inside was still a fourteen year old punk. Once it seemed like that brat wasn't gonna try to make a break for it, Tim went over to grab the belt out of his closet. He didn't ever wear a belt, but after he'd whipped Curly with one of Darry's, the older boy had told him to keep it. They were both believers in a good whipping. Considering how much Ponyboy and Curly palled around in school, Darry thought that Tim keeping Curly in line would help keep Ponyboy out of trouble. It hadn't worked much today, but Tim was gonna try his best to pull the knucklehead back in line. </p><p>"Since when is a whipping not on your bare ass?" Tim asked, turning back around to see Curly bent over the end of the twin bed without taking his pants and underwear down.</p><p>"C'mon, Tim," Curly complained. </p><p>"Now, Curls."</p><p>Curly didn't respond, just stayed firmly in place. Tim was sick of this shit. Curly tried to fight him on every single licking and he lost every time. Tim reached around his brother's waist to try to  unbutton his jeans, but Curly pushed him away. Losing his patience, Tim knocked Curly down so he was face down on the bed, pinning the kid's arms with one hand and bringing the belt down with the other. He kept it up for five or so hard smacks before Curly let out a yell. </p><p>"Oww that fuckin' hurts!," Curly complained. </p><p>"Don't you be whining yet," Tim replied, "We ain't even started. Now, stand up and get 'em down."</p><p>Tim released Curly's arms but the kid just laid there stubbornly. After giving his brother a moment to wisen up and do as he was told, Tim smacked him again, harder than before. </p><p>"If I gotta wrestle them off of you, it ain't gonna be pretty," Tim warned. They both knew it was true. Curly was a good fighter, but not as good as his big brother. Tim had had to wrestle him into a licking before and neither of them enjoyed it. Once Tim had gotten Curly on the ground, he'd ripped his jeans off and pinned him with a knee to his back. He'd really torn Curly up that day. It still didn't compare to a true beating Tim could hand out in a fight, but Curly still didn't sit easy for three days afterward. </p><p>"Alright, Jesus, just stop whacking me and I'll do it," Curly muttered, pushing himself off the bed.  He made quick work of pushing his jeans down he went to bend over again but stopped when Tim flicked him with the belt, not a full smack but enough to sting over his underwear. Curly swore under his breath but yanked his briefs down to his knees. Tim noted that the kid's ass was already a little pink from the earlier licking.</p><p>"Bend all the way over, 'less you want me to take you over my knee like some stupid brat," Tim barked when Curly put his palms down on the bed and bent over slightly. The routine was the same every time no matter how much Curly protested. Tim knew the shithead would fight him till the very end, but he just wanted this to be over with. When Curly <em>finally </em>did what he was told, Tim tossed him a pillow from the head of the bed. Curly looked up and glared at him, but took the offered pillow, wrapping his arms around it. Tim knew his brother thought he was an asshole, but he wasn't enough of an asshole to deprive him a little bit of comfort.</p><p>"You know what we're here for so I ain't gonna waste my fucking breath," Tim said. He put his left hand down on Curly's back before swinging the belt down hard with his right. It always surprised him just how loud the belt had felt on bare skin. Tim whupped him hard but always made sure to keep the belt landing either on Curly's ass or the back of his legs.  His stepfather had whipped Tim a few times when he was in junior high, but he swung the belt wildly, not caring where it landed. Tim just took his licks and cussed the man out in his head until one day Jerry set on Curly and Angela. Tim had grabbed him before he could swing and clocked him right in the face, breaking his his nose.  Jerry got a few punches in as well and Tim couldn't see out of his right eye for a little while, but it was worth it. Jerry never laid a hand on any of them again. No, their mother and step father were content to just ignore the kids and scream at each other all day long.</p><p>Tim kept landing the belt in no particular pattern, just wherever looked like it needed to be reddened. Soon enough, everywhere from the kid's butt to halfway to his knees were a bright pink, approaching red. He always felt a sort of grim satisfaction in the first few licks about putting the little shit back into his place, but after that he just felt like an ass. Reminding himself that he was keeping the little fucker out of the reformatory, he whacked Curly's sit spots three times in a row, causing Curly to throw his foot up in protest. </p><p>"You want me to get Angie in here to hold your legs down?" Tim threatened. He'd do it too. </p><p>"Don't you fucking dare!" Curly cried, keeping his leg in place </p><p>"I make the rules around here, dip shit, not you," Tim said. He knew Curly was close to being worn out, but he had to assert his authority, "Put your leg down. Now."</p><p>"I fucking hate you," Curly muttered but put his leg down</p><p>"That's fine," Tim said, "You still have to obey me, though."</p><p>Tim knew that Curly didn't actually hate him, but it wouldn't be till his brother was truly spent that he would ever admit it. He continued whupping Curly's ass until it was red all across, with the darkest color right where he sat down. Tim had meant it when he said Curly would be squirming in his seat tomorrow in school. Curly had a tendency to ditch school pretty often, but Tim was gonna make sure he went tomorrow. He knew Curtis would make his boys go and it was only fair that Curly sit on a sore ass as well. Plus, the kid could use some humbling and having to send the day hiding that he'd been whupped was sure to do that.</p><p>"You feeling sorry yet?" Tim asked when he was about to wrap up.</p><p>"Yes, goddamnit!" Curly yelled, and Tim could hear the strain in his voice, like he was holding back tears. Curly was a tough kid and Tim wasn't going to insist on tears if they didn't come. He could hear the panting and knew the kid was about done, so he brought the belt down four more times right on the tops of Curly's legs before calling it a day. </p><p>"We're done," Tim said, flopping down on his own bed, giving Curly a moment to compose himself. He knew the kid was spent and was pretty exhausted himself.</p><p>"You want a weed?" Tim asked, when Curly started to situate himself.  </p><p>"Yeah," Curly muttered. Tim lit a cigarette and handed it to Curly before lighting one himself. </p><p>"Still hate me?" Tim asked as Curly laid down on his side, the cigarette hanging loosely from his lips.</p><p>"Yes," Curly grumbled, reaching a hand back to rub his sore ass, "At least till these welts go away."</p><p>"I didn't leave no welts," Tim said, rolling his eyes at the dramatics.</p><p>"You didn't leave no skin left neither!" Curly pouted.</p><p>"Oh, you're fine, princess!" Tim cracked and Curly stuck his middle finger up at him. "What'd'ya want for dinner?" </p><p>"Dairy Queen?" Curly asked hopefully.  The kid loved Dairy Queen.  Chicken fingers and fries and a chocolate milkshake. Tim thought it was nasty but Curly would dip the chicken fingers into the milkshake. Said it was no weirder than eating chicken and waffles. </p><p>"Yeah, okay, Curlycue," Tim laughed, using the old nickname from when they were kids, "Since I'm feeling generous, I'll even go pick it up and bring it back."</p><p>"You were gonna do that anyway!"</p><p>"You got me there." Tim was always nicest to Curly when he'd just been whupped. He patted Curly on the head. "Try to stay out of trouble till I get back?"</p><p>"No promises!" </p><p>No promises, indeed. Tim knew that they'd be back here soon enough. Curly was just too wild, too reckless for it to not happen again. He really hoped that it wouldn't be for this specific crime, and that it wouldn't be for a while. At least for today, things were settled between them and Curtis' outfit and Curly was too sore to think about causing any trouble.</p><p>Tim would take any win he could get. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. No Man Left Behind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dally was excited. There was a real big bash happening out in Brumly that night and greasers everywhere were talking about it. It was sure to be a rough scene. At least one fight would break out and somebody would probably get jailed. Dally's kind of fun.</p><p>Darry had warned them when he first heard about it that they weren't allowed to go, but Dallas had figured he'd forgotten by now. Not that it mattered; he was still gonna go anyway. If there was one thing Dally hated, it was an order. It's why he kept getting fired from jobs. He 'didn't take direction well' according to his manager, for all of one day, at the drug store. Dally had responded by putting up two middle fingers and walking out of the store, tipping over a shelf of magazines as he went. There was just something about being told what to do that made him want to do the exact opposite. </p><p>"Hey kiddos, you about ready to go?" Darry called. Pony had asked Darry to take him and Johnny to the bowling alley, and since Darry didn't have to work for once, he agreed. "Anyone else wanna go?" </p><p>All four older boys shook their heads. Usually Dally liked the bowling alley, there was lots of trouble to get into there, but tonight he didn't feel like being under the watchful eye of Darry Curtis</p><p>"Alright, but I'm telling all ya'll right now--don't let me catch you anywhere near that party," Darry said, eyeing all of them. </p><p>"How you gonna catch us if you ain't going?" Two-Bit said, throwing a shit eating grin at Darry. </p><p>"Boy, you're just asking to be grounded tonight, ain't you?" Darry responded, slapping the side of Two-Bit's leg in warning. Why the boys let Darry get away with smacking them like that, Dally would never know. He'd let Darry whip him before, but that was different. It was!</p><p>"No, no need for that," Two-Bit said, putting his hands up placatingly. </p><p>"Behave, all of you," Darry said, looking at the four boys in the living room.</p><p>"You too! Johnny, you're in charge. Make sure Darry behaves himself!" Soda ordered. Darry waved him off with a grin and ushered the boys out the front door.</p><p>"Screw Darry, man," Dallas said as soon as he heard the truck pull away, "Let's just go anyway. It's not like he's gonna know."</p><p>The funny part was that he hadn't been that dead set on going until the first time Darry had forbidden him, but now it was like his life depended on it.  </p><p>"I dunno, Dal. Darry told us not to," Sodapop said, biting his lower lip.</p><p>"What Darry don't know won't hurt him. You in, Two-Bit? Steve?"</p><p>"Yeah, what the hell. We haven't gotten into any action lately." Two-Bit replied. Dally grinned. He'd gotten one. </p><p>"I got a date with Evie tonight," Steve said.</p><p>"Well, the kiddies are out, so that just leaves you, Sodapop."</p><p>"It's probably not such a good idea," Soda replied, chewing at his bottom lip. Dally knew that Soda not saying an outright 'no' meant that he could probably be persuaded.</p><p>"C'mon, we're not gonna get caught!" Dally argued, "And if even if we do, what's the worst that can happen?"</p><p>"Uh, I like my ass the color that it is, thank you very much," Soda laughed. </p><p>"Wow, never pegged you as such a chicken," Dally said, simply because he knew it would annoy Soda. He wasn't a chicken; they all knew it, but he couldn't help pressing that button.</p><p>"Alright, fine, why not?" Soda agreed and Two-Bit cheered. They all knew the answer to that. Darry's belt was why not, but Dally was confident they were smooth enough to not get caught. </p>
<hr/><p>When Dally and Two-Bit walked into the Curtis house the next morning, they were confident they'd gotten away with it. The party wasn't too great. It got busted pretty early so the three ended up just driving around Brumly for a while. Two-Bit had dropped Soda home before both he and Dally both crashed at his house. Dally usually liked the feeling of sticking it to someone, but since he couldn't rub this in to Darry, it wasn't really all that fun. </p><p>"Shit," Dally mumbled under his breath when he and Two-Bit walked into the Curtises' living room to see Sodapop sitting in a kitchen chair that was turned toward the corner. He had his knees tucked up to his chest and his head turned so his cheek was resting on his knees. Dally wanted to turn the other way and just book it out the door, maybe shout a few expletives at Darry for ordering them around in the first place, but he knew that would be pretty much admitting guilt. Maybe, just maybe, Sodapop had gotten himself in trouble for something else.</p><p>"Bout time y'all showed up. Soda's been sitting in the corner for almost an hour," Steve said from his spot in front of the TV. Well, that settled it. Dally could hear the frustration in Steve's voice on behalf of his best friend. </p><p>"If Sodapop didn't want to sit in the corner, he shouldn't have lied and said y'all weren't there with him," Darry said, coming in from the kitchen, "That's his own fault."</p><p>Dally felt bad about that. Though he hadn't taken all that much convincing, Soda had been the most hesitant to go in the first place and now he'd gotten punished for lying to Darry for them. Damnit, he used to not feel guilty about nothing! It was like hanging around the gang was giving him a conscience or some shit. </p><p>"C'mon, let's go in my room and talk," Darry said, leading the way. He gestured for all three to take a seat on his bed. Dally had been in Darry's bedroom before, but not for a lecture. It felt different. Like a little kid getting scolded by his old man. He was sure that if Soda and Two-Bit weren't in trouble alongside him, his temper would've gotten the best of him and he would've stormed out. He and Darry had played that game before. He'd storm out, stay away for a bit, then eventually feel guilty and return. He was alone then, though. Now he was part of a team. Leave no man behind. </p><p>"I got a call from one of the guys on my crew. Wanted to make sure Sodapop and his two buddies got home alright," Darry began, "Since Pony and Johnny were with me, and Steve and Evie stopped by the bowling alley, it wasn't too hard to figure out who was with him."</p><p>"We didn't get in no trouble," Two-Bit tried. Usually it was Soda that would talk Darry down, but he was evidently subdued by his time in the corner and whatever must've happened with Darry before they got there.</p><p>"That's not the point," Darry said, "I told y'all to stay away from there. You disobeyed me."</p><p>"We're not your fucking soldiers!" Dally shot backed, "You can't just give us orders."</p><p>"That's one." Darry said calmly, "Two-Bit, do you wanna explain to Dallas what happens when he gets to three?"</p><p>"You gotta sit on a kitchen chair for a while afterward," Two-Bit mumbled, not looking Dally in the eye. He didn't have to explain what 'afterward' meant. Darry was a cruel bastard to make them sit on a torn up ass. </p><p>"And after that?" Darry prompted.</p><p>"Four or more and you gotta write an essay while you're sittin' there." Dally glared at Darry. He'd dropped out for a reason. He didn't like being told what to do and he certainly didn't like writing essays. </p><p>"That's right. One page for each number past three. So y'all better mind your manners when I'm already upset," Darry said, "And you bet your ass I'm upset. That party was not safe for y'all to be at. Nothing good was gonna happen there. Y'all are lucky that it was shut down early."</p><p>"Yessir, we are," Sodapop said, when Darry paused. Dally didn't very much agree with that, but for once he held his tongue. </p><p>"I don't particularly like y'all being around all the drugs and shit there, but the real reason I didn't want y'all there was how violent it could've gotten. I don't let y'all carry heaters, and I don't want you hanging around a place with a bunch of them neither."</p><p>"You didn't fucking tell us that!" Darry argued, "You just barked orders and expected us to follow."</p><p>"Two," Darry said threateningly, "You better mind your tone."</p><p>Dally glared at him but gave a jerky nod.</p><p>"I should've explained my reasoning, I'll admit, but as the leader of this outfit, I have to rely on my men to follow orders. I don't want y'all fucking around with some of those Brumly guys. If you piss the wrong guy off, we could all have a target on our heads."</p><p>Okay, now Darry was making an argument Dally could understand. He didn't understand this whole dysfunctional family with Darry at the head that he was somehow a part of, but he could understand doing what was best for the gang. </p><p>"Y'all know what you did and now you understand why I'm upset. I'm gonna give y'all a choice between a spanking and a whipping," Darry said, "If you want the spanking, grab yourself corner. If you want the whipping, you can wait for me in the garage."</p><p>Two-Bit headed right into the corner. Hell, Darry could probably tell him to put on a clown suit and stand on his head and Two-Bit would do it to avoid a belt licking. Soda reluctantly followed, seeming like he didn't like either choice but the spanking was preferable, even if he clearly didn't want to go back to the corner. For Dallas the choice was a little more difficult. He'd resolved to accept a licking, but he didn't know if he had it in him to pull his pants down and lay over Darry's lap.</p><p>God, but clearly his brothers were doing it. Dally still respected them even through they submitted to it and they would still respect him if he did it. The only question was whether or not he could still respect himself. He didn't particularly want to feel the belt against his ass. A whipping hurt like hell and he had to barrel race tomorrow. A spanking was sure not to hurt as bad, especially by tomorrow. He would just have to give up some of his pride if he wanted to save his ass</p><p>So, for the first time in his seventeen years of life, Dallas James Winston stood in a corner. </p><p>Darry walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's be clear here, kid. You understand that I'm gonna take your jeans down, put you over my knee, and spank your bare butt, right?"</p><p>"Yeah," Dally sighed.</p><p>"And you ain't gonna fight me on it?" Darry asked, still sounding suspicious, "Because I'll have to add more if I do."</p><p>"I won't, man. Honest to God."</p><p>"Good," Darry replied, squeezing his shoulder before stepping away. Dally could hear Darry's footsteps leaving the room and coming back a moment later and wasn't sure what that meant.</p><p>"Sodapop, c'mere," Darry commanded, and Dally could hear Soda reluctantly making his way over.</p><p>"Dar!" Soda exclaimed, "You didn't say nothing about no spoon." So that's what Darry had left the room for.</p><p>"Oh, so you'd prefer the belt?" Darry asked. </p><p>"No sir," Soda said hurriedly.</p><p>"I ain't wearing my hand out on all three of y'all," Darry grumbled, "My shoulder's already gonna be sore after this."</p><p>"You could just not whup us at all?" Soda said, and Dally snorted. He was pretty sure Darry was glaring daggers at his back but he didn't wanna turn around and check. </p><p>"Bend," Darry said over the rustle of jeans being pulled down. Dally heard the shuffling of Sodapop climbing over Darry's knee and wondered if he could go through with it himself. I mean being bare assed over the guys lap?</p><p>Darry soon started smacking and Dally nearly flinched at the sound of the spoon hitting bare skin. It made a loud popping sound every time it hit Soda's ass. Pop. Pop. Pop. Over and over again until Soda started to hiss at each one. Dally tried to tune it out, but he just couldn't, and he didn't know why. He'd heard people cry out in fights and it meant nothing to him, but hearing his buddy get his butt whacked by his big brother wielding a wooden spoon was somehow so much worse. </p><p>After a few minutes of smacking, Soda became more vocal. He started to plead with Darry to stop, but every time he did, Dally swore the next few pops got a little bit louder. Finally, after what felt like hours, the spanking stopped. Dally could hear Darry murmuring softly to Sodapop, who was now crying quietly. Eventually he heard Soda stand up and fix his clothes, before trudging into a corner, still sniffling. Damn, Sodapop wasn't a bawl-baby or nothing, so he must've been pretty sore.</p><p>"Dallas, come here please," Darry called and Dallas froze. It wasn't until Darry cleared his throat that Dally turned around to face the man. Darry was sitting in the middle of the bed with the spoon laying next to him. Slowly, Dally made his way over to the oldest Curtis, eyeing him warily and watching for any sudden movements.</p><p>"Push your jeans down to your knees," Darry said sternly. Dally felt his ears go red but did what he was told with only a small huff. He'd never been in this position before so he didn't exactly know what to do next. Darry guided the kid to stand by his left side and then slowly helped him to lay over his lap. Dallas felt a little better once his face was hidden, as if he had some sort of anonymity that way.</p><p>"A reminder that you're already at two, kid," Darry said, "So I'd keep any comments to yourself if I was you." </p><p>"Yeah, okay, man," Dally replied. Darry was silent for a moment. Dallas knew that Darry would usually insist on a 'yessir,' but they both knew that wasn't going to happen. Apparently Darry decided to pick his battles because he didn't say anything.</p><p>"I'm gonna pull your shorts down now," Darry said, warning him. He didn't do that for Sodapop, but Dally figured that that was because Soda was already quite familiar with the process. Dally gave a jerky nod in agreement and Darry pulled his briefs down to the hollows of his knees.</p><p>"You can squirm or kick a little bit, but don't fight me or try to get up," Darry said, "You can holler and ow and complain a little, but nothing nasty and no cussing. Understood?" Again, Dally replied with a nod. The rules were pretty much the same as when he was out in the garage.</p><p>"Ready?" Darry asked. Fuck no, he wasn't ready, but he was eager to get this over with, so once again he nodded. </p><p>"Okay," Darry replied. A second later Dally heard the pop and felt the impact of the spoon. It wasn't anything like the belt, which left a line of fire across his ass. No, the spoon stung when it landed and left the spot feeling warm, but not white hot. As Darry continued spanking--ugh, Dally hated that word-- steadily, the warmth built up to a heat and the smacks were hurting more and more each time. Damn, Dally had underestimated how much of a bitch this was gonna be.</p><p>"Ow, fuck, man!" Dally cried out after a particularly sore smack. </p><p>"That's three," Darry said calmly, smacking the tops of Dally's thighs for a minute. Damnit, Dally had not meant to get to three. His obedience only went so far. If he had to sit on a sore ass, he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't lose his cool and get himself into more trouble. He clenched his jaw, knowing that anything else he said wouldn't be very nice.</p><p>Dally didn't kick as Darry continued to hammer him with the spoon, but he did start drumming his feet against the floor in hopes of relieving some of the sting. It wasn't helping much. As his ass got hotter and hotter,  he had to resist the urge to start pleading. Most of his pride had already been whupped out of him, but he was desperate to hold onto that last shred of dignity. He'd , never even had the urge to beg when he was getting his ass kicked on the street, but somehow laying over Darry's knee was turning him into some whiny kid. </p><p>"When I tell you to stay away from somewhere, you do it," Darry lectured, increasing the force of the smacks, "You can ask what my reasoning is and we can talk about it, but you don't get to disobey me and bring the boys along. You dig?"</p><p>"Yeah, man, I got it," Dally replied through gritted teeth. Usually, he'd tell Darry where he could shove his orders, but he really didn't want to end up writing an essay for Darry and he was committed to seeing the punishment through alongside his brothers. </p><p>"Alright, time to finish up," Darry said, and Dallas felt himself being tipped forward. He knew from his experiences with the belt that the end was always the worst and he figured the same would be true for the spoon. He was right. Darry delivered a bunch of hard smacks right to the bottom of his ass and the top of his legs. And he was gonna make Dallas sit after this! Darry was a cruel bastard.</p><p>Finally, when Dally was about ready to start hollering, Darry stopped. Dally wasn't even particularly embarrassed to have Darry help him pull his underwear back up; that's how wrung out he was. He let Darry rub his back for a minute while he got his breathing under control. He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hands to hide the evidence of any tears. Dally wasn't full on crying, but there was definitely moisture pooling in the corners of his eyes. Finally, when he felt like he had himself together, Dally stood himself up and hastily yanked his jeans back on.</p><p>"You did good, kid," Darry reassured, looking up at Dally, "Why don't you use the rest of the time in that corner to think about how you're going to avoid getting into this situation again."</p><p>Dally just nodded, not trusting his own voice, and headed back into the corner. With his ass throbbing, he was only vaguely aware of Darry calling Two-Bit over. It wasn't till he heard the pops that Dally realized that Two-Bit was getting his turn with the spoon. Dally noted that Two-Bit was more vocal than either Sodapop or himself. Almost immediately, he was bargaining with Darry to stop the punishment. Dally didn't know why Two-Bit would think, after he and Sodapop had their turns, that he'd get off any easier. But that was Two-Bit. Always had something to say.</p><p>"That's one." Darry said. Dally had been too wrapped up in his own thoughts to hear what Two-Bit had said to earn that warning. He had to admit that a small part of him wished Two-Bit would get to three. Misery loves company. </p><p>Darry's warning apparently got Two-Bit to shut his mouth, which all Dally heard were smacks for a few minutes. He noticed that he wasn't nearly as guilty as when Soda was getting it. Maybe it was because they'd strong-armed Sodapop into going with them, or because Darry whupped the guilt right out of him. Either way he was glad. If he had to be sore, he'd rather not be guilty and sore. </p><p>Realizing that he needed get his ass to stop stinging, and quick, before the next part of his punishment, he snaked his hand back and gave it a quick rub. It helped a little, but he really wished he could shuck his jeans and underwear off and dunk his ass in ice. </p><p>"Dallas, stop that," Darry said almost immediately, "No rubbing while you're in the corner."</p><p>Dally clenched his fist to keep from flipping Darry off, but took his hand off his ass. He figured rubbing a sore butt while standing in the corner was pretty much the most embarrassing thing ever, anyway. Dally settled for shifting his weight back and forth to try to alleviate some of the pain. Luckily, Darry seemed not to mind that</p><p>"Ain't it about time for you to say 'this hurts you more than it hurts me,'" Two-Bit asked, his voice sounding strained and a little teary.  </p><p>"Two." Darry said, and Dally heard four extra loud pops. While Dally had trouble controlling his temper, Two-Bit obviously couldn't handle having to keep his jokes to himself.</p><p>Luckily for Two-Bit, he never made it to three. Like with Dally and Sodapop, the smacks got louder and quicker until finally they were done. Two-Bit, as expected, hollered his way through it, the complaints sounding wetter with each smack. Darry gave a deep sigh, obviously worn out from whupping all three of them. Dally agreed with Soda; If Darry didn't want to whup them, he didn't have to, but he wasn't exactly willing to voice that </p><p>"Alright, you two can come out of the corner," Darry said, freeing them. Both Dally and Soda turned around. "I don't want to have this conversation again, understood?"</p><p>"Yessir," Soda and Two-Bit both said, and Dally nodded. He just wasn't quite on board with the whole 'sir' thing, outside of trying to talk himself out of trouble with the law. </p><p>"Dallas, you've got twenty minutes sitting on a kitchen chair to serve," Darry reminded, as if he'd forgotten, "I think you better get to that now. I'll be out to check on you in a minute. </p><p>Dally made his way over to the dining area, leaving the three behind in Darry's bedroom. He was glad to be out of there. He knew Darry was gonna get all sappy and wanna hug them and he was just not about that. Slowly, Dally lowered himself onto the chair, cussing under his breath as the hard surface reignited the pain in his ass. </p><p>He shifted his weight back and forth to try to alleviate some of the sting, but nothing really helped. Each movement just felt like he was setting a new part on fire. After a while, Sodapop and Two-Bit passed him on their way to the living room. Two-Bit gave him a knowing smile. A second later, Darry came in from the kitchen with a glass of water, putting it down in front of Dally. He gave Dally's shoulder a warm squeeze before joining the boys in the living room. Realizing how thirsty he was, Dally took the glass and chugged it right down. He wanted to hate Darry for whupping him, but it was shit like this that made him hard to hate. </p><p>"Alright, Dally, time's up," Darry said when he'd finished his sentence. Dally didn't need to be told twice. He hopped right out of the chair, barely managing not to knock it over, and rubbed his sore ass. Darry extended a hand. "No hard feelings?"</p><p>Dallas grabbed Darry's hand in his own and wasn't surprised when Darry pulled him in for a one armed hug. He tried to pull away after a second, but Darry kept him in a firm grip. Dally still wasn't a fan of the mushy stuff, but maybe he'd let it go. Just this once. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you to River for the suggestion! Any suggestions always appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Getting a Choice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Follow up to "Shepards" since a few of y'all requested it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey guys!" Sodapop called cheerily as the two younger boys walked through the door. When all he got in reply were mumbled hellos, he raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"</p><p>"Uh, we're in trouble," Ponyboy said, studying the floor. Good Lord, what was it now? It seemed like since their parents passed, Ponyboy was getting in trouble with Darry practically every other day for back sass or just not using his head. And now Johnny was involved?</p><p>"Does Darry already know?" Soda asked, trying to figure out where they stood. </p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, "He kinda caught us. Told us we should tell you if you were home."</p><p>"And?" The older boy asked apprehensively. Ponyboy must be pretty nervous if he was breaking out 'sir' already. Both boys stood there quietly, clearly not wanting to answer. </p><p>"We were drinking whiskey in the lot with Curly Shepard," Johnny said softly, breaking the silence. </p><p>Fuckin' Curly Shepard. Sodapop was gonna kick his ass. Ponyboy had a knack for getting into trouble with Curly and apparently now Johnny did too. Soda had never really forgiven Curly after Pony had come home with a cigarette burn on his finger after the two of them had played chicken together. Soda had been there when Ponyboy came home that day.  It was the first time he'd ever spanked Ponyboy for real. He knew his kid brother had been an equal participant in that, but he had still felt like beating Curly's head in afterward. </p><p>"Where's the Shepard kid now?" Soda asked, fighting to keep his temper in check. </p><p>"Darry's taking him home. He was giving lip so Darry literally picked him up and carried him to the truck! Even popped him a couple times!" Pony said, sounding a mix of horrified and impressed. Soda didn't know how he felt about that. He was sure the kid deserved it, but he wouldn't like it if Tim tried to spank Ponyboy or Johnny. Or God forbid--Sodapop himself! </p><p>"You mad at us?" Johnny asked timidly, unwittingly bringing the conversation back to them. </p><p>"I take it Curly was the one who brought the bottle?"</p><p>"Yessir," they both replied in unison. Soda figured that Darry already knew that, or else they wouldn't turn their buddy in so easily.</p><p>"How much did you have to drink?"</p><p>"Like a sip each," Ponyboy said, "I didn't like it."</p><p>"Me neither. Tasted awful," Johnny added. Soda was glad of that at least. He didn't need either of them getting a taste for it. Dally and Two-Bit were the big drinkers in the gang. Steve drank on occasion but not as frequently. Darry hadn't had a chance to do anything wild since he became their guardian, but he usually had a beer or two a night after work. Soda never real saw the appeal. He'd have a drink to fit in at a party but never really drank much otherwise. </p><p>"You both know the unofficial rule here is no drinking till you're sixteen," Soda lectured. Johnny was fifteen but they all forgot sometimes. He looked like he was Ponyboy's age. "Johnny, I know you're getting close, but you shouldn't let your thirteen year old brother drink."</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny replied, looking ashamed. Soda shook his head. Johnny was everybody's kid brother but he needed to stand up to Ponyboy every now and then. Soda had seen the kid fight, knew he was tough when he needed to be. If they could only get him to be a little more outspoken with the gang, Soda would be happy.</p><p>"And drinking out in the lot? Really? You're lucky it was Darry who passed you and not some cop. Neither of y'all can afford a fine for underage drinking," Soda scolded. If push came to shove, the gang would get the money together to pay the fines, but it wouldn't be easy. Johnny wouldn't even dream of asking his parents for money, even if they had any. </p><p>"That's stupid. The fuzz never comes by this neighborhood," Ponyboy said flippantly, and Soda just about saw red. Ever since the kid hit high school, he'd acted like he knew everything. Soda remembered Darry going through that phase when he was Ponyboy's age, but there parents certainly hadn't put up with it. He grabbed Pony's arm, probably a little too tightly, and yanked him closer. Tucking Pony under his arm, Soda smacked the kid good four or five times.</p><p>"Oww, Sodapopppppp," Pony pouted, rubbing his backside.</p><p>"You can take that attitude right into the corner, little man," Sodapop scolded. Pony sent him a glare and Soda shot one right back. God, how did the kid manage to go from mumbling nervously to back talking in such a short time? "You're lucky I'm not tanning your butt before Darry even gets a chance to." </p><p>"You want me in the corner too?" Johnny asked timidly. Soda hadn't thought about it, but it wasn't a bad idea for both of them to think through what they'd done.</p><p>"Yeah, why don't you," Soda said, giving Johnny's shoulder a squeeze. They were both sensitive kids, but Pony tended to lash out, while Johnny receded into himself.</p><p>"Soda?" Pony asked timidly, after they'd both been in the corner a few minutes.</p><p>"What, Pone?" </p><p>"You gonna tell Darry I was giving attitude?" Ponyboy asked, sounding nervous.</p><p>"Tell you what, no more lip and I won't," Soda replied, "But you gotta make sure you're on your best behavior for Darry. You know how he gets if he thinks you're being fresh."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy replied, sounding more confident this time.</p><p>Soda grabbed a copy of MAD Magazine that he'd read a thousand times and started flipping through the pages, keeping one eye on his kid brothers. He hoped Darry would be home soon to take over. He never liked being the one to come down on the boys. </p><p>"Hey little buddy," Darry greeted, when he finally walked through in the front door.</p><p>"Hey Dar," Soda said, "How was your day?" </p><p>"Eh, fine, until I caught these two out in the lot," Darry grumbled, "They give you any trouble?"</p><p>"No, they've been fine. I gave them a good lecture than sent 'em to the corner to wait for you."</p><p>"Thanks, Pepsi Cola," Darry sighed, "Boys, you ready to come out?"</p><p>"Yessir," they both replied, turning to face the rest of the room. Soda got up from his spot on the couch and migrated to the armchair, not wanting to be lumped in with the two troublemakers but wanting to stay close by. He wasn't sure if it was because he was afraid Darry would lose his cool or because he wanted to get his two cents in, but he felt the need to stick around.</p><p>Darry sat the boys on the couch, questioning them about what happened and lecturing and about drinking and using their heads. Pacing back and forth, he pulled out the threat of the boy's home and reform school and everything in between. He was nearly roaring when he got to the possibility of them getting jumped because they were too drunk with no one to watch their backs, but seemed to calm down when he learned that this wasn't planned out before. Seems Curly just brought the bottle and their boys just went along with it. Soda wasn't happy about them going along with it, but it was better than a planned effort to go behind his and Darry's backs. He knew Darry felt the same way.</p><p>"Ya'll got anything to say for yourselves?" Darry sighed. Soda hoped that the lecture was almost over. Although he had interjected with some points here and there that Darry missed, he didn't really enjoy seeing his kid brothers be scolded. </p><p>"We're sorry," Johnny said for both of them.</p><p>"I know I promised y'all a butt beating," Darry said, "But in light of Curly's role in this, I'm gonna be nice. I'll let y'all choose between a two week grounding and a spanking?"</p><p>"Do we have to choose the same thing?" Pony asked.</p><p>"No, you don't have to," Darry replied.</p><p>"I'd rather be grounded," Pony answered quickly. Soda figured as much. The kid really hated getting his tail lit up, but was sure bad at avoiding it. He really should've just chosen the spanking. There was no way he was gonna make it through this grounding without pushing Darry into whupping him. </p><p>"Johnny?" Darry asked. </p><p>"Spanking," Johnny said quietly, chewing on his bottom lip. Soda heard Darry sigh deeply but nod. He knew that Darry had given the kid the same choice the only other time he'd seriously punished him and Johnny had chosen the spanking. God, Soda hated to hear Johnny get his backside whupped, but it was better than an already anxious Johnny being extra skittish around them for two weeks while he was being punished.</p><p>"Alright, c'mon kiddo," Darry said, crooking a finger. It took all Soda had not to stop Darry. He hated when Darry took Ponyboy to task too, but let's face it, the kid could be a brat sometimes. It was hard on all of them when Johnny was in trouble. "Sodapop, can you get him started on chores?"</p><p>"Yeah, sure." Soda replied. In the months that he'd been in charge, Darry had developed a pretty predictable set of consequences. There were two types of groundings: A grounding after a spanking and a grounding instead of a spanking. The grounding that came after a spanking wasn't usually all that bad. It was usually you were grounded from something, like driving or going to Buck's. That kind of restriction of was just Darry's way of reminding you not to do whatever you did to get whupped in the first place. A grounding by itself, or instead of a spanking, was different. It involved extra chores, not going out, and sometimes even being stuck in your room. Soda had only been full grounded by Darry once and he really hoped to avoid it in the future. With so many boys to look after, Darry preferred the quick punishment of whuppings to keep them all in line. </p><p>As Darry took Johnny into his bedroom, Soda directed Pony to get started on dusting. The house was always cleanest when someone was being punished and forced to do the extra chores they didn't usually do. They did okay for a bunch of teenage and barely passed teenage boys but they could never keep the house as clean as their mom had. Soda sat back down on the couch and started sorting through the mail he'd brought in earlier, just for something to do.</p><p>Soda cursed himself for not assigning Pony anything noisier when the spanking started. Their house wasn't very big and the sound of a smack could travel. He had half a mind to turn on the radio or something to drown out the sound, but it reminded him too much of something Johnny's mother might do when his dad was after him. Soda shivered at the thought. No, they'd just have to listen to the measured but undoubtedly painful smacks. </p><p>As the punishment continued, Soda was thankful at least that Johnny wasn't one to wail, like Ponyboy, or plead and bargain, like Two-Bit. He absolutely hated having to listen to Pony crying out when Darry spanked him. Johnny was quiet and reserved, even when getting spanked. Soda knew he wouldn't hear a peep from Johnny for a little bit. The spanking itself would only last a few minutes from start to finish, but Darry wouldn't leave till he was sure Johnny was okay. Even then, Johnny might not come out with him, if Darry thought he needed a nap. Soda knew from experience that getting spanked and having a good cry was awfully tiring.</p><p>Soda winced when he heard the smacks get louder and faster, clenching his fists and squeezing his eyes shut. His heart broke when he heard Johnny let out a little cry, but thankfully the smacking stopped immediately after. He could hear Darry murmuring softly to Johnny, comforting him. Ponyboy had stopped dusting about halfway through the spanking, apparently as unable to focus on anything else as Sodapop was. The older boy cleared his throat and sent Pony a pointed look. The kid clearly got the message and started dusting again. A moment later Darry came out with Johnny tucked under his arm. It was clear the kid had been crying, but he looked okay otherwise.</p><p>"Why don't you got sit on the couch with Sodapop," Darry ordered gently, "I gotta play drill sergeant for the moment."</p><p>Johnny nodded and came over to the couch while Darry headed off in search of Ponyboy, who had migrated to the kitchen. Soda scooted over to make room for Johnny, who sat down stiffly. He didn't wince when he sat down, and Soda knew it was because the kid was used to sitting on a bruised ass, and that this spanking wasn't all that bad comparatively. The thought made Soda mad, but he pushed it down, knowing Johnny would perceive any anger as being directed at him.</p><p>"That can't be very comfortable, kiddo," Soda said, "Why don't you lie down?" </p><p>The kid mumbled an 'okay' and curled up into a ball on his side, taking up as little space as possible. It was clear to Soda that Johnny still felt awkward around him so soon after being punished. Soda wasn't gonna let the kid sit there without any comfort. Rolling his eyes, Soda grabbed Johnny under the arms, hauling him closer so that Johnny's head was resting on his leg. Johnny was tense at first but soon relaxed as Soda played with his hair. </p><p>"I'm real sorry," Johnny said after a moment of silence. Soda already knew that for sure.</p><p>"Don't worry about it," Soda reassured, "You think you're the first fifteen year old in the world to try drinking? You should ask Darry about when he was fifteen and got himself a strapping for coming home boozed up."</p><p>"Hey now, little buddy. I seem to remember Dad catching you and Stevie drinking his beers in our room when y'all were, what, thirteen?"</p><p>"Something like that," Soda mumbled, his ears going red. That paddling was part of the reason Soda never drank much to this day. He was sure glad the thing had gone missing and hoped it was never seen again. </p><p>"I wanna hear these stories!" Pony butted in. </p><p>"No, go back to work," Soda said, "And bring me and Johnny some Cokes while you're at it." Johnny was done but Ponyboy was still very much being punished. </p><p>"Mean," Pony said, sticking his tongue out at his middle brother. Darry advanced toward him, looking ready to pop the kid.</p><p>"Hey, Dar, he didn't mean nothing by it," Soda said, defending the kid as always, "But Pone, haven't I taught you that you gotta wait till Darry's back is turned to do that."</p><p>"Oh, so y'all are in cahoots against me now?" Darry asked. </p><p>"Always," Soda replied. Darry humphed and turned toward the kitchen. Immediately, Soda stuck his tongue out at Darry. Johnny couldn't see it from his position, but Ponyboy laughed. </p><p>"Pony, chores. Now," Darry said, although not seeming particularly upset, just back in drill sergeant mode. </p><p>"Yeah, Pone, bring us those Cokes," Johnny said, surprising everyone. It wasn't often that Johnny got sassy, but they loved it when he did. Ponyboy shuffled back in a second later with their drinks, shooting a glare with no real heat behind it at both of them. Soda sunk back into the couch, enjoying the moment of peace and quiet with Johnny.</p><p>Ponyboy Curtis, get down from that counter before I whup your backside," Darry hollered a few minutes later. So much for the peace and quiet.</p><p>"How else am I supposed to dust above the cabinets?" Soda rolled his eyes. The next two weeks would be tense, with Darry and Ponyboy battling over the grounding, but Soda could only hope that Pony would only get himself in a little bit of trouble. He was just glad that's survived another family hurdle and come out the other side in one piece. He was content to enjoy the company of one kid brother and order his other kid brother around a litte bit. Johnny had gotten whupped and they had to be fair, after all. </p><p> Soda made a note to reassure the kid that he and Darry weren't mad at him anymore when they were alone in their room later. Soda was pretty sure he already knew that, but he just felt better making it clear. Darry was good at comforting after a spanking, but not so much after hollering at one of the boys. Soda would be the one to sling his arm over Pony in their bed and promise him that Darry only punished him because he loved him. And it was true. The last hour, while unpleasant, only occurred because both boys were loved. It was sometimes hard to remember that when you were being hollered at or getting your butt whupped, but all discipline in the Curtis house was done out of love and concern. </p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Can't Catch A Break</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Watch out, Superman's in a mood today," Soda said as Steve rolled up to the house that afternoon. Darry couldn't pretend he didn't know what Soda was talking about. He'd had a bad day at work. They were behind schedule and he'd gotten his ass chewed out over it. Plus, it was 100 degrees in the shade that day and he'd been working for eight days without a day off. He came home hot, frustrated and tired. All he'd wanted was a shower, but of course, for whatever goddamn reason, Two-Bit was in their shower.</p><p>Just before Steve came in, Ponyboy had mouthed off and Darry had popped him. When Soda intervened and told him to lay off, Darry threatened to give him 'a reminder of who's in charge around here.' Yeah, suffice to say, Darry was being sterner than usual.</p><p>Darry liked to think he was consistent in handing out discipline, but he knew he punished more when he was in a bad mood. It wasn't that he swatted and spanked to take out his own frustration. He'd never do that. It was more like the rules were always the rules, but he was more likely to let things slide if he was in a good mood. Things like talking back or rolling eyes might earn a scowl or admonishment when Darry was having a good day, but would have Darry handing out smacks on a bad day. He'd read his mom's copy of Dr. Spock and knew that consistency was supposed to be important for kids, but it didn't always happen. He was barely more than a kid himself, after all!</p><p>"Ain't Superdope always in a mood?" Steve laughed, not seeming particularly concerned. Darry supposed that was good. He didn't want his boys to have to tiptoe around him just because he was having a having a bad day, but it wouldn't kill them to lay off him a bit. Well as long as everyone followed his <em>very reasonable</em> rules, Darry wouldn't have to do any more smacking.</p><p>He should've known that was wishful thinking.</p><p>Darry sat down in the armchair to wait for Two-Bit to finish what was apparently the world's longest shower. He just wanted to read the paper in peace, but the TV was going and Soda and Steve were bickering like an old married couple about what to watch.  Darry knew they were arguing for the sake of arguing. Nothing good was on at this time anyway. He was just about to tell them to knock it off when Ponyboy came into the room.</p><p>"Can you sign this?" Ponyboy asked, standing in front of Darry and handing him note from school.</p><p>"What is it?" Darry asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"Nothing important," Ponyboy said, fidgeting a little bit in front of his big brother.</p><p>"Uh huh," Darry said, looking down the paper. It said that Pony had skipped third period, but since it was a first time offense, they let him off with a warning and a note home. "Why in the world did you need to skip class?"</p><p>"Needed to finish my math homework."</p><p>"The math homework that you promised me you finished before going out last night?"</p><p>"Yessir," Pony said quietly. The kid looked unsurprised when Darry reached up and grabbed his bicep. Darry spread his knees and pulled Ponyboy over his left leg. Pony was still wearing his shorts from track practice so it was easy enough to yank them and his briefs down. Darry didn't pay much attention to the fact that Soda and Steve were both in the room when he started smacking. This wasn't going to be a full spanking and Darry didn't feel like getting up for just a short reminder. The loud smacks rang through the small living room.</p><p>"Can't you whup the brat somewhere else? We're trying to watch TV," Steve complained, the little shit. Darry doled out three more swats before righting Pony's shorts. Pony stood up quickly, shooting Darry an annoyed look before going to sit on the opposite side of Soda, milking his middle brother's sympathy.</p><p>"You're lucky you're not sucking down a bar of soap," Darry says, glaring at the kid's theatrics, "You know I don't like you lying to me."</p><p>Pony humphed but didn't say anything else, apparently accepting the relatively mild punishment.</p><p>"Steve, get over here," Darry called, snapping his fingers and pointing to the ground in front of him.</p><p>"What'd I do?" Steve asked.</p><p>"You know not to rag on your brothers for getting in trouble," Darry said, "Now, c'mere before I get the spoon."</p><p>Steve reluctantly obeyed and took Ponyboy's place in front of Darry.</p><p>"Bend over," Darry said, positioning Steve similarly, except Steve was pretty much standing sideways between Darry's knees, his hands bracing himself on the arm of the chair. Once Steve was in position, Darry smacked the teen's backside four times, harder than he had Ponyboy since Steve had his jeans on. It was somewhat of an awkward angle; Darry could've delivered a better swat if he were standing up but it was too few swats to bother.</p><p>"Get up," Darry said, and Steve pouted at him, rubbing his backside. Darry didn't understand what all the fussing was about today. Rules were always rules, regardless of whether or not Darry was cracking down on them or not.</p><p>"What'd I miss?" Two-Bit asked, tossing a store brand cheese puff into his mouth. In all the commotion, Darry hadn't noticed Two-Bit coming in to the living room with just a towel wrapped around his waist. </p><p>"Don't be getting that cheese dust all over my floor," Darry grumbled, "And why are you using our shower? What's wrong with yours?"</p><p>Two-Bit shrugged. "My Ma's been nagging me to clean our bathroom. Says I can't use it again til I do. It'll blow over in a few days."</p><p>"It'll blow over today if you get your butt home and clean it."</p><p>"Where's the fun in that?"</p><p>Darry shook his head, "Just clean it  No more showering here."</p><p>"That's fine. I'll just shower in the school gym. Or maybe not at all," Two-Bit said with a grin. </p><p>"Your poor mother. I oughta lend her one of my belts so she can whup your backside," Darry threatened. He figured that he'd done his part by not enabling the kid. The rest was a battle between Two-Bit and his mother.  The shower finally free, he got up to head to the bathroom, but nearly tripped over Soda and Steve, who were wrestling on the living room floor. </p><p>"Take it outside, would'ya?" Darry half suggested, half ordered. He nudged Soda's backside with his foot to get their attention. Once they'd stopped, Darry went in for his shower. The cold water felt good on his overheated skin, but unfortunately he was still tired and grumpy when he left the bathroom.</p><p>He entered his bedroom to see all his drawers left often, meaning that Two-Bit had helped himself to his clothes. Steve, Two-Bit, and Dally seemed to treat the Curtis house as the clothing section at Sears. Darry usually just grumbled about it, not paying it too much attention. It was only when the boys threw the dirty clothes in the house's laundry pile that he started to get annoyed. </p><p>When Darry came out of the room,  Johnny had arrived and was sitting in the living room with Pony and Two-Bit. Darry didn't particularly want any more rowdy teenagers in his house that afternoon, but if it had to be anyone, he was glad it was Johnny. The kid usually had a calming presence rather than adding to the chaos as the other boys usually did.</p><p>The chaos makers that day were Soda and Steve, who were back to wrestling on the floor. Darry watched them for a moment to see if they'd knock it off on their own. When they got too close to the table and threatened to knock it right over, Darry decided to put an end to it. He reached down and pulled Steve up by his collar, yanking him to his feet and laying down two hard swats, before doing the same to a now panting Sodapop.</p><p>"Didn't I tell y'all to take it outside?" Darry said, shaking both of them just a bit.</p><p>"C'mon Dar, we wrestle all the time! Even you do!" Soda complained.</p><p>"Not when I just told y'all not to! I can't even leave y'all alone long enough to take a goddamn shower," Darry complained, "Both of y'all stand in the corner till you can remember how to mind me."</p><p>"Darrrrr," Soda complained</p><p>"Another word out of either of you and I'm getting the paddle," Darry said. He was damn tired of the disobedience and attitude that he'd been getting that day. Deciding to send a message, Darry grabbed his tool belt out of the truck. He picked a prominent spot on the living room wall and hammered a nail into it, ignoring the three boys who were watching TV.</p><p>"What'cha doing there, big guy?" Two-Bit asked.</p><p>"I think y'all need a little reminder to behave," Darry said, stalking off in search of the paddle. It already had a strap around the handle, leftover from when it was a toy and not a weapon for whupping ass, so Darry just hung it up on the nail.</p><p>"That's not fair!" Pony complained, "You can't just hang it up for anyone to see."</p><p>"Oh I can too. And you can head right to the corner with that attitude, young man," Darry ordered. Pony glared at him but was wise enough to obey. </p><p>For a moment, the house was quiet, save the noise of the TV, and Darry could relax. With Two-Bit and Johnny on the couch, he retook his place in the armchair, trying again to read the paper.</p><p>"Hey Johnnykid, have you seen my stick?" Two-Bit asked after a moment of silence. Darry clenched the paper tighter. All he wanted was a little peace and quiet.</p><p>"No, " Johnny responded.</p><p>"I know I had it somewhere," Two-Bit continued, looking under couch cushions. Darry tried to tune him out. This was obviously leading up to some stupid joke. </p><p>"I haven't seen it," Johnny said.</p><p>"Oh, I know where it is. It's up Darry's butt!" Two-Bit said, laughing so uproariously that even Johnny joined in.</p><p>"Corner." Darry said, not even looking up from the paper.</p><p>"Why?" Two-Bit complained.</p><p>"You're being fresh. Now go, before I go find my own stick and beat you with it," Darry threatened. He heard something that sounded an awful lot like someone suppressing a laugh, "And now you can go join him, Johnny Cade." </p><p>As Darry continued to read the paper, he heard two sets of footsteps trudging over to the corner. Finally, all was calm in the house. Darry even managed to read a full page of the newspaper before he heard the kitchen timer ring.</p><p>"Uhh, Darry?" Soda called, "Can you take the casserole out of the oven?"</p><p>"It's your turn to cook, Sodapop," Darry said, still looking at the paper. He certainly wasn't taking over any of Soda's chores tonight.</p><p>"Yeah, but you put me in the corner," Soda replied. </p><p>"Oh, right," Darry said, looking up to see Soda and Steve in the unoccupied corners of the living room, "Ponyboy, take the casserole out."</p><p>"Uh I'm also in the corner," Pony said, his voice coming from the kitchen where Darry couldn't see him.</p><p>Darry sighed and got up to take the casserole out himself. Walking in to the kitchen, he realized that three of the corners were taken up by Ponyboy, Johnny, and Two-Bit.</p><p>Oh shit, what had he done?</p><p>"Uh y'all can come out now," Darry said, now realizing that the house was only so quiet because he stuck all five of them in corners. What had they done to deserve that? Okay, yeah Steve and Soda were wrestling after he told them not to. They probably deserved their sentence. But the rest? Ponyboy and Two-Bit had been sent for attitude, but in hindsight, they really weren't giving much at all. And he sent Johnny just for laughing at Two-Bit's joke? That wasn't right. Nobody puts Johnny in a corner. </p><p>"Listen guys, I was in a real sour mood today and I shouldn't have punished y'all because of it," Darry admitted.</p><p>"Guess I wasn't wrong about the stick up your butt, huh?" Two-Bit asked. God, Two-Bit got over things so quickly.</p><p>"Guess not," Darry agreed, "I'm sorry, y'all. It won't happen again."</p><p>"It better not, young man," Ponyboy said, wagging a finger. Darry had to admit was a pretty good impression of him.</p><p>"No, sir," Darry replied, with a small smile. </p><p>"I think you better go to the corner till you learn how to act right," Soda said, cocking his head toward the corner of the kitchen.</p><p>"Yessir," Darry said, realizing he probably deserved that and more. He stood straight, hands clasped behind his back, and listened to his brothers. Someone, probably Sodapop, took the casserole out of the oven while they fired their best Darry impressions back and forth at each other.</p><p>"Two-Bit, if I gotta help you get started setting the table, you ain't gonna like it," Steve said. </p><p>"Little boy, do you need a bar of soap in your mouth to wash out that attitude?" Two-Bit shot back.</p><p>"Are you kids trying to make me lose my damn mind?" Johnny said, and even Darry couldn't help but laugh at that one.</p><p>"Johnny Cade, you mind your tone before I beat your backside!" Sodapop replied</p><p>"Hey now, seems like you're forgetting who makes the rules around here, little buddy," Ponyboy quipped.</p><p>They kept up like that until everyone was laughing, even Darry from his spot in the corner. Just like that, his bad day had been ended by his knucklehead kid brothers. </p><p>"C'mere, Darry," Soda said, borrowing Darry's favorite snap and point gesture. "You learn your lesson, little man?"</p><p>"Yessir," Darry said, "Though I have to say, y'all didn't make that much of a punishment. Definitely the most fun I've had standing in the corner."</p><p>"Well, if you're standing in the corner, you can't pound on us for making fun of you," Steve said. Darry smiled, remembering how he'd chase them around when they all were kids. He knew better than to really hurt them, or his butt would be hurting as well, but he'd certainly tackled the boys plenty. Their fear wasn't completely unfounded. What else was a seventh grader supposed to do with a bunch of mouthy kid brothers still in grade school? </p><p>"I can still pound on you now that I'm out," Darry said.</p><p>"I think he might need to go back into the corner," Two-Bit butted in, "Still seems to be pretty mouthy." </p><p>"Aw lay off, Two-Bit. You know Darry always forgives you after you mess up," Ponyboy chimed in. Darry smiled at that. He and Ponyboy had a rough transition from brothers to whatever kind of relationship they had now, so it was nice to hear the kid stick up for him. </p><p>"Oh no, he's gone one more thing to do to make amends," Steve said. Darry looked at him curiously. "Take that damn paddle down off the wall!"</p><p>"That I can do," Darry said, "I don't particularly wanna be lookin' at it all day neither."</p><p>Darry took the paddle down and put it back in the drawer where it belonged, before taking his place at the dinner table. As he dug into the casserole, he realized how damn hungry he was. That was probably a big part of his bad mood. He tried to tell himself that it wouldn't happen again, but if he was being honest, it probably would. Their father was usually pretty easy going, unless one of the boys had really crossed a line, but he could remember their mother having the occasional bad mood. God bless her, with six grade schoolers running around her house, it's a wonder she wasn't always hollering at them. Darry didn't hold any bad moods against his mother and thankfully it seemed like his boys didn't hold any against him. In the end, his boys were fine and now maybe even they'd make it a few days without Darry having to whup someone. Maybe.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Too Big for His Britches</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to SweetInnocentTess for the prompt!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Sodapop, why is your paycheck five dollars less than the last one?" Darry asked, trying to balance their checkbook. Money was always tight around the Curtis household and Darry kept a strict eye on their finances. Soda should've known he couldn't just hand over his paycheck without any questions. </p><p>"Uh, I dunno Dar," Soda lied. He knew exactly why his check was short. He'd fucked up. Again.</p><p>"You and Steve been screwing around again?" Darry asked, glaring. Soda's pay had been docked before when he had Steve had been messing around in the shop and broken some glass soda bottles.  </p><p>"No, Dar, we haven't. Honest!" </p><p>"Then tell me why your check's short," Darry ordered, his voice going icy. "Or would you rather me call Jimmy and have him tell me?"</p><p>The owner of the gas station was a good friend of their father. Back when their folks were still alive, their Dad had gotten Soda and Steve the job. Back then it was just to earn a little pocket money after school. Soda knew that Jimmy would give him up to Darry in an instant. </p><p>"No, don't," Soda sighed, "I had Michelle by the station. Jimmy caught us fooling around when I was supposed to be working on one of the cars. Docked me half a day's pay."</p><p>"Damnit Sodapop, again?" Darry grumbled, slamming his hand down on the desk for emphasis, "I thought we talked about this!"</p><p>"We did Dar, it's just...she's <em>really</em> pretty," Soda said, giving the only excuse he could come up with. He and Darry had talked about this before. Last month to be exact. Jimmy had caught him fooling around with another girl, Katie, and given him a warning. He'd also placed a call to Darry, who'd warmed Soda's tail and made him write an apology letter. Soda was not looking forward to the legendary ass beating he was gonna get for doing it again. </p><p>"I'm starting to think you ain't mature enough to have this girlfriend," Darry scolded. Soda's eyes widened at the implication.</p><p>"Darry, no! You can't control who I date!"</p><p>"I'm not trying to control who you date. I'm telling you you're not gonna be dating at all till you prove to me you're responsible enough to handle it."</p><p>"Responsible?" Soda cried, his voice rising, "I am responsible! I do a lot around here! I pay bills, help with the housework, look after Pony! What else do you fucking want?"</p><p>"You better watch your mouth, little boy," Darry threatened, standing up to his full height and looking down at Soda."You've already got a whupping coming and all you're doing is adding to it." </p><p>Darry glaring down at him only made Soda madder. "Oh that's right, just whup me until I behave. No dating, no girlfriends, no fun. Just be your obedient little solider. You're such an asshole, you know that?"</p><p>"Well, dating is certainly off the table now, young man, and your little tantrum isn't doing anything to convince me that you're grown up enough for all the other stuff I let you do. " </p><p>"Oh go fuck yourself, Darry! You're not Dad and you're never gonna be!" Soda yelled, loud enough that the neighbors could probably hear. He hated when Darry called him 'young man.' Darry was a young man too!</p><p>"You're right, kiddo, I'm not Dad. Or Mom. But I am your big brother who cares too much about you to let you do stupid stuff," Darry growled, "And I think you need a good spanking to remind you who's in charge around here before we even talk about you getting into trouble at work."</p><p>"That's bullshit! I'm not gonna let you beat on me just because you're on some kind of power trip!"</p><p>"It's not a power trip to want you to keep your goddamn job and stop messing around!" Darry hollered. </p><p>"Yeah, cause that's all I do! Just mess around. Sorry I can't be fucking perfect like you! I wish you'd just gone to college and left us alone," Soda was pretty much seeing red now. Who was Darry to tell him what to do, anyway? Soda was practically an adult. He even had a full time job. He knew he was throwing salt in a wound by bringing up college, but Soda couldn't bring himself to care. He only hoped that Darry wouldn't take a swing at him for the vicious comment. </p><p>"You know what? Just go to bed, Sodapop. I'm too damn tired to deal with this right now."</p><p>"What? No! It's eight-fucking-thirty!" </p><p>"Go to bed right now before I do something we both regret," Darry said, grabbing the front of his t-shirt and lifting him onto his tip toes. It took all Soda had not to start swinging on Darry right there. Even in his rage, he knew that wouldn't end well. If things got physical, Soda couldn't rule out that Darry would use the strap on him. As mad as he was, he didn't want a painful reunion with that thing. </p><p>Darry gave Soda a little shake before letting him go. The teen stormed off to his room and slammed the door, glad that Ponyboy was still out. He flopped down on the bed and screamed into his pillow, giving the mattress a few good punches as well. A small part of him knew that he was doing exactly what Darry had said--throwing a tantrum--but he ignored it. Once he'd calmed down a bit, he laid on his back and stared at the ceiling in anger.</p><p>"What're you and Darry fighting about?" Ponyboy asked, walking into the room an hour later. Soda was bored stiff by then. He'd tried to read a book, but ended up flinging it at the wall in frustration. </p><p>"How do you know we're fighting?"</p><p>"He referred to you as 'your brother.' He only does that when he's mad." </p><p>Soda rolled his eyes. Darry always did that. If he and Ponyboy were having a fight, Darry would tell Soda to check on 'your brother.' He'd picked it up from their mother, who always told their father to 'deal with your sons' when they were acting up.</p><p>"I got my pay docked for fooling around with Michelle at work."</p><p>"And you're still alive?" Ponyboy said, almost in awe. He'd been there for the smack down Soda got last time. "Lemme see your butt."</p><p>"Darry didn't whup me."</p><p>"He didn't?! Man if I had done that, Darry woulda knocked me into next week."</p><p>"Yeah, well I think he's gonna do more than that," Soda sighed, "I kinda cussed him out and said he had no right to whup me. Said he shoulda gone to college and left us alone."</p><p>"Glory, why'd you do that?"</p><p>"He said I couldn't go out with girls anymore till I proved I was responsible. It kinda rubbed me the wrong way since I really like Michelle, and also I feel like I am responsible. I pay bills and help with the housework and stuff." Soda left out the part about looking after Pony, not wanting to make his kid brother feel like a burden.</p><p>"Well, gee, Soda, you are, but Darry is too. And he's gotta look out for all of us and make sure we stay on top of the mortgage and the bills and everything. You know how he gets about money."</p><p>"Yeah, I know," Soda sighed, "I just wish he treated me more like an adult, you know?"</p><p>Ponyboy started laughing and that and Soda glared at him, "What?"</p><p>"Ain't you always telling me that if I want Darry to stop treating me like a kid then I gotta stop acting like one?" Pony smirked.</p><p>"Aw shit, you're right." Soda said flopping back on the bed. He'd royally fucked up. "I'm gonna get the ass beating of a life time, ain't I?"</p><p>"I'll pray for you," Ponyboy said, clearly trying to act sincere.</p><p>Sodapop whacked him on the head with a pillow. "Make sure you say nice things at my funeral."</p>
<hr/><p>"Darry?" Soda called, poking his head out of his room.</p><p>"You ready to talk to me civilly?" Darry asked, not looking up from the eggs he was frying. What had gotten into the kid the night before, he wasn't sure.</p><p>"Yessir," Soda replied.</p><p>"Good, come and eat," Darry said, dishing up a plate of eggs for both of them and putting them on the table. Sodapop hesitantly padded forward and sat down. </p><p>"I'm sorry about last night," Soda said softly. Darry stared him down for a moment. The kid really did seem contrite.</p><p>"What was going on with you?" Darry asked. He thought he had a pretty good idea, but he wanted to hear it from his brother.</p><p>"I just got mad," Soda shrugged, "Didn't like you saying I wasn't responsible and making me stop seeing Michelle because I feel like I do try to be an adult and help out."</p><p>"Look, kiddo, I don't tell you enough, but I am really appreciative for everything you do around here," Darry said softly, "Me and Pony certainly couldn't do it without you. Your paycheck helps out a lot and you play peacekeeper in the family...<em>most of the time</em>."</p><p>Darry watched Soda's ears get red at that last statement. They both knew he'd been over the line last night. The kid pushed the eggs around the plate and refused to meet Darry's eyes.</p><p>"You have a lot of responsibility for a seventeen year old, more than you should, and you're really good at handling them, for the most part," Darry continued, "But you're still only seventeen and you're not quite as grown as you think you are. You need rules, even if you don't like them."</p><p>"Please don't make me stop dating, Dar. I really like Michelle." </p><p>Darry considered that for a moment. Soda had dated a few girls in the months since Sandy moved away, nothing more than flings, but he really did seem to be sweet on this one. "If I let you keep dating, there's gonna be some conditions."</p><p>"Yeah, sure, anything," Sodapop said, Damn, where was this agreeable kid last night?</p><p>"Number one, Michelle doesn't come by the DX anymore, even when Jimmy's not there. Or any girl that's not a customer for that matter. You're not gonna lose your job because you can't keep your hands off your little girlfriend. "</p><p>"Okay," Soda said, his face falling a little. Darry knew the kid loved hanging out with girls at the DX.</p><p>"Number two," Darry continued, "You're not seeing anyone unsupervised for a while. You can have her over here when I'm home for now, and in a little bit, you can start double dating with Steve or Two-Bit. You don't use your head when there's a pretty girl around and I'm gonna nip that in the bud."</p><p>Yessir," Soda replied.</p><p>Darry noticed the kid still wasn't eating any of his food. "Those eggs are gonna taste a lot worse after we deal with all the cussing you did last night, so I suggest you eat up."</p><p>Clearly, Soda got what he meant, as he took a spoonful of jelly and scooped it onto his eggs before taking a bite. </p><p>"You know I gotta whup you good for this, right?" Darry asked, "This is the second time we've had this conversation in just over a month."</p><p>"Yeah," Soda sighed, "Garage?" Darry knew Soda expected a whipping for this. Last time it had happened, Darry had used the spoon, and doing it again clearly called for an upgrade to at least the paddle. The shit he said the night before would likely bring it up to the belt, or god forbid, the strap. </p><p>"Not exactly." Darry said, "You're still getting the belt, but over my knee. I think you were getting a little too big for your britches last night and you need a reminder that you're not quite grown."</p><p>Soda nodded, not looking happy. Well, he certainly wasn't gonna be happy as the morning progressed.</p><p>"You done eating?" Darry asked, looking down at Soda's half eaten eggs, figuring he wasn't gonna get the kid to finish any more.</p><p>"Yessir."</p><p>"Go stand by the sink," Darry ordered, tossing their plates in the sink to deal with later.  Darry was well practiced at washing out mouths so he quickly grabbed a clean bar from under the sink and ran it under the tap. Setting the bar down, Darry turned around to pick Soda up by the armpits and plop him up on the countertop. Soda's ears turned red at that, but after all the shit Soda put him through last night, it was time he got knocked down a peg. </p><p>"Open," Darry said. When Soda hesitated, Darry pinched his nose. He didn't want to give Soda any chance to disobey and earn himself more on top of the already monumental punishment he had coming. When Soda opened his mouth, Darry stuck the bar in. "Bite."</p><p>Soda wrinkled his nose in disgust and Darry felt for him. He'd gotten his mouth soap a few times growing up by his mother and it was not something he particularly enjoyed. He still remembered how the bitter taste and slimy feel seemed to linger for hours afterward.</p><p>"You better thank your lucky stars I'm not giving you a second whupping for all the attitude you gave me last night," Darry scolded after Soda had held the soap in for a few minutes, "I don't appreciate you screaming and cussing at me like that. If it happens again, I'll humble you right then and there, no questions asked. "</p><p>Soda nodded around the soap, starting to sniffle. Darry didn't know whether it was from the threat or the soap making his eyes and nose run. Probably both.</p><p>"You don't get to blame your punishment on me. I'm not whupping you because I think it's fun. You knew what the consequences would be for fooling around at work and you did it anyway. Calling me an asshole and telling me to go fuck myself wasn't fair and I don't deserve to be treated like that."</p><p>Soda started full on crying there, and Darry knew this time it was from the lecture. </p><p>"Some of the things you said to me last night were not just some simple backtalk; they were nasty and vicious. You don't get to bring up college just because you're pissed at me.  I want an apology letter, along with the one you're gonna write Jimmy," Darry said sternly. From Soda's pained expression, he could tell that he had laid the guilt on pretty thick. Well, Soda deserved it after the fit he'd thrown last night. </p><p>"The normal punishment for cussing is five minutes and I figure you probably cussed at me a half a dozen times," Darry said, watching Soda's eyes go wide at the implication, "Lucky for you I think thirty minutes is way too much, but you can and will keep that bar in for ten minutes. And you better have a damn good apology for me when we're done or else the soap's going right back in. You dig?"</p><p>Soda nodded his head frantically at that. Darry looked over at the clock. Three minutes had passed since they started. He quickly cleaned up the dishes to pass the time, glancing over at Soda every minute or so. The kid wasn't all out bawling, but he was certainly crying, probably from guilt more than anything else. Darry straightened up the rest of the kitchen for lack of anything better to do. For the final minute, he just watched Soda sternly, satisfied when the kid squirmed a little under his gaze. </p><p>"You got something to say to me?" Darry asked firmly, pulling the bar out of his kid brother's mouth.</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Dar!" Soda cried, almost a babble with the soap suds still coming out of his mouth, "I was so 'ude and awfu' to you las' night and I'll understan' if you never forgive me."</p><p>"Hey, little buddy, look at me," Darry said, tilting the kid's chin up, "You can give me all the backtalk you want, but it don't mean I won't forgive you. Sure, it might mean that I gotta whup your backside from here to Texas and feed you soap for breakfast everyday for the rest of your life, but I'll always forgive you." Darry pulled his crying little brother against his chest and squeezed him tight, willing the boy to believe him.</p><p>"Save some of those tears for when I'm whupping you, alright?" Darry said, squeezing the back of Soda's neck before letting him go. Once again, he lifted Soda up under his arms, this time setting him on his feet. "Rinse your mouth and then we'll get it done."</p><p>Darry watched as Soda stuck his head under the tap to rinse out the taste of the soap. Darry knew from experience that the taste would linger for a while, but after all that Soda had said to him the night before, he wasn't all that sympathetic. He knew after the whupping he'd let Soda have a coke and whatever else he wanted--he was a big softy after all-- but for now the kid would just have to live.</p>
<hr/><p>"That's enough," Darry said as Soda was still trying desperately to get the taste out of his mouth. Soda disagreed. That was certainly <em>not</em> enough water to wash the taste out, but he was pretty sure Darry wouldn't like that argument.</p><p>"Go get me a belt from my closet and meet me in the living room," Darry ordered when Soda stood up to face him. That was different. Usually Darry was already wearing a belt and would just whip it right off. For all of Soda's talk about power trips last night, he was clearly being sent for the belt as a reminder of who was in charge. Darry had a dress belt that had been their fathers that he'd inherited along with his suit, and the worn black belt he wore with jeans. Soda knew Darry would do a thorough job with either belt, but at least the well worn in one would sting less. Grabbing the belt off the nail it was hanging on, he trudged back to the living room to face Darry. </p><p>Darry took the offered belt without a word. Although he'd been comforting before, it was clear that Darry was back in discipline mode. He reached out and tugged Soda's sleep pants down to his ankles. Soda used Darry's shoulders to steady himself as he stepped out of his pants and kicked them to the side. They were certainly not going back on after what was sure to be a spectacular beat down. He didn't resist as Darry pulled him down over his knees. Darry settled Soda so that he was laying across the couch with his legs and torso resting on the cushions. Soda knew that meant to settle in for a long spanking. He wasn't surprised to feel his briefs being pulled down to his knees as soon as he was settled. </p><p>Before long, Soda felt the first solid whap of Darry's hand. He hadn't been sure if Darry was gonna go straight to the belt or use his hand first. A whipping was usually all belt, but Darry typically spanked with his hand first when you were over his knee. Honestly, Soda didn't know why Darry even kept the paddle around. His calloused hand was basically a paddle itself. Each smack stung and he knew Darry wasn't even using his full strength. </p><p>He knew he should be embarrassed at going over his big brother's knee at seventeen for a spanking. Plenty of kids in their neighborhood still got walloped, but in the stories they told, it was mostly bent over something or touching their toes for the belt. Usually, he'd be bent over the sawhorse for something like this, but clearly, Darry wanted to humble him. Soda didn't have much time to think about that, though, as Darry's hand kept smacking down on his butt and thighs.</p><p>"This better be the last time I have to whup you for getting in trouble with girls at work," Darry lectured, "You don't use your head when it comes to girls. Not at work and not at home when you should've been apologizing instead of mouthing off."</p><p>"I'm sorry! I am!" Soda said frantically, willing Darry to believe him.</p><p>"I know you are, little buddy, but you're about to get a whole lot sorrier," Darry replied, and Soda started to squirm in response to the building sting in his backside. Darry sure had a mean right arm. Before the pain from one smack even had a chance to fade, Darry was laying down another. The worst was when Darry concentrated on one spot for a while. Soda thought he was gonna fall right off Darry's lap when Darry started going all out on the spot where his butt met his legs.</p><p>"Hold still, we've got a lot to talk about," Darry said sternly, "We cannot afford for you to lose your job. Jimmy is a good friend, but his patience only goes so far. You're lucky he only docked you a half days pay. He could've cut your hours or even fired you. You say you're responsible? The responsible thing would be keeping your job."</p><p>"Yessir, won't do it again," Soda gasped out, squeezing his fists tight. </p><p>"Yeah, you said that last time and look where it got us," Darry replied. Soda's gasped when he felt Darry start to slap his legs. "You're making decent money, have a good boss, and get to work with your best buddy. Don't throw that all away because you can't keep your hands off your girlfriend."</p><p>"Ow, Darry, I get it!" Soda cried, unable to stop himself.</p><p>"Oh, I know you're not getting mouthy with me," Darry scolded, "Because if you were, I might have to put that bar of soap right back in your mouth. See if I can wash that attitude away once and for all."</p><p>"No, don't! Please!" Soda said, starting to sniffle, "I'll be good."</p><p>"Glad to hear it. You're a good kid, but some times you act like you don't got a lick of sense. I mean, hollering and cussing me out last night? You're lucky all it's gonna get you is a sorer backside. If you'd done that to Jimmy, or god forbid, the fuzz, you'd be looking at much steeper consequences."</p><p>"Yessirrrrrrrr," Soda wailed, crying now for all he was worth. Darry was really letting him have it, blistering his ass from top to bottom. Even his legs weren't being spared. Soda swore that Darry was covering more of them than usual. And they hadn't even gotten to the belt yet!</p><p>"Alright, kiddo, catch your breath a little before we finish up with the belt." Soda started to panic a little. If Darry was planning to give him a full whipping on top of his already scorched butt, Soda was sure he wouldn't survive. The spanking alone felt like a whipping. Darry's hand must be pretty damn sore. </p><p>"Relax, I'm not going to use it as hard as I usually do," Darry said, obviously picking up on Soda's fear, "But I'm still gonna make sure you feel it good. Obviously the first spanking you got wasn't enough deterrent, but I'm not making that mistake this time. </p><p>"Yessir," Soda managed to squeak out.</p><p>"I want you to think about how you're gonna avoid making this mistake in the future while I'm giving you the belt," Darry said. How Darry thought Soda could possibly think about anything other than the pain in his butt was beyond him. </p><p>The belt came down with a hard snap and Soda bucked forward at the impact. Darry said he wasn't gonna use it as hard as usual, but on already raw skin, the thing felt like murder. Before long, Soda was wailing again, desperate for the punishment to be done. </p><p>Apparently Darry got all the lecturing out during the hand spanking because he was silent while he whipped Soda's butt. Soda could feel the belt landing all over, from the top of his butt to the middle of his thighs. Jesus Christ he was never gonna sit down again after this. Darry had already whomped him good before he even brought out the belt and now he seemed on whipping him until he didn't have an ass left. Soda gripped tight to the couch cushions to keep from reaching back</p><p>"Ow, Dar, I'm sorry," Soda wailed, ready for this whupping to be over and done. </p><p>"We're almost done now," Darry said, patting Soda on the back a little. The comfort didn't last long as Darry started snapping the belt across Soda's sit spots. Hopefully Jimmy would take pity on him and give him a lot of tasks that didn't require sitting. Depended on if his boss decided to be merciful, or throw in some punishment of his own. Laying on his back under a car would be pure torture. Soda couldn't dwell too much on the future, though. His current thought were more along the line of 'ow, ow, ouch, ow, owwwwwww.'</p><p>Soda kicked his legs frantically as Darry painted his thighs bright red with the belt before finally tossing it aside. For a moment, all Soda could do was just lay there in his misery, hoping the fire burning on his ass would go down soon. He was surprised to feel Darry pull his underwear off instead of back up, but realized what his big brother was doing as he awkwardly maneuvered Soda's legs into his pajama pants. The baggy sleep pants were much looser than his briefs, and while he didn't love anything touching his ass, this was probably the best thing. Still crying, he lifted his hips to help Darry shimmy them back up.</p>
<hr/><p>Once he had the kid fully dressed, Darry shifted Soda around so that the kid was sitting on his lap, butt hanging between his knees. He murmured assurances to the kid, just the same as his parents used to do when they were little. Soda grabbed onto the front of his shirt as he cried himself out. Darry felt like a jerk, even though he knew it could've been worse. Knowing how sore the kid already was, he didn't hit him all that hard with the belt, knowing that even a light lick with the belt would sting plenty on an already sore butt. Plus, the idea that he did something bad enough to deserve the belt would mean more to Soda than anything. Still, this was still probably the harshest punishment he'd ever given Soda. He'd really crossed a line, though. Putting his job in jeopardy, doing something he'd already been whupped for, and being outright disrespectful were all serious things and Darry had to nip it in the bud. Didn't mean he had to like it.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Dar," Soda sniffled. Darry was glad that his voice sounded a little more solid.</p><p>"I know, honey," Darry said, "Just try not to make me have to do it again, huh?"</p><p>"No siree," Sodapop said, cracking a smile, "Don't think I'd have an ass left if I did."</p><p>"You got that right," Darry laughed, before becoming serious again, "You've got half an hour to let your butt cool off but then you need to write those letters."</p><p>"Can I write them standing up?" Soda asked, flashing his most charming smile. That combined with his still red rimmed eyes made Darry almost give in. Almost.</p><p>"No, but you can have a pillow," Darry said.</p><p>"Alright, but I'll remember this when you're old and sick and need someone to take care of you," Soda said. Darry rolled his eyes. He could never understand how Soda could bounce back so fast from a whupping but he was glad for it. He didn't want the kid moping around all day. "You think Pony's still asleep?"</p><p>"With all the wailing you did?" Darry laughed before calling out, "Hey Pony, coast is clear, you can come out now."</p><p>"Geez, Soda, you still alive?" Pony asked, "It seems like Darry was whupping you for hours." </p><p>"Yeah, well, I deserved it, and if you ever do something as stupid as I did, I'll whip you just as hard," Soda said. Darry was surprised at the response, thinking Soda would complain and gripe some more. Seems like the kid was already trying to be more responsible and clearly he thought the punishment was fair, since he was threatening to give the same to Pony. Soda hopped off Darry's lap, more slowly than he usually moved and went off toward the bathroom, presumably to wash the lingering soap taste out of his mouth. Darry got up and poured him a glass of chocolate milk, complete with a bendy straw so he could drink it laying on his stomach. Damn, Darry was really getting soft. Soda came back and smiled appreciatively at the chocolate milk before lowering himself down on the couch. Darry scooted over to accommodate the kid, leaving his feet resting in his lap.</p><p>Ponyboy went off and fixed himself some cereal before taking over Darry's arm chair. Darry usually insisted on having meals at the table, but he figured he'd let it go this time. Ponyboy switched on the Saturday morning cartoons and the three brothers were content to watch cartoons and enjoy each other's company, just like when they were kids. </p><p>After the episode of <em>Tom and Jerry </em>ended, Darry shook Soda's foot. He didn't want the kid to fall asleep before he got his apology letters done. He'd take the kid over to the DX later that day to deliver the one to his boss. </p><p>"C'mon, kiddo, get up and get your letters done," Darry ordered gently.</p><p>"Five more minutes," Soda mumbled sleepily. Damn, Darry had been too late. He didn't want the kid to fall asleep. </p><p>"No, get up," Darry said, "Unless you want me to rethink letting you have a pillow." He tapped Soda's butt in warning.</p><p>"I'm up. I'm up," Soda said, peeling himself off the couch. He disappeared into his bedroom for a second before coming out with a notepad, pen, and two pillows. </p><p>"I said <em>one</em> pillow," Darry said, rolling his eyes at the kid. Of course he just had to push the limits. Soda studied the pillows for a minute before apparently choosing one, throwing the other to the side. They looked the same to Darry, but he knew he might feel different if it was his backside. Soda reluctantly sat down at what used to be their father's desk. </p><p>To his credit, Soda worked diligently on his letters, probably to minimize his time sitting on his sore backside more than anything else. Darry felt a pang of guilt every time Soda squirmed in his seat, especially since one of the letters the kid was writing was to him. Darry had to remind himself of the way spoke to him last night. His kid brother was not gonna grow up thinking it was okay to treat people like that.</p><p>When Soda finished writing, he called Darry over to check his letters. Darry picked up the one to Jimmy first.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>Dear Jimmy, </em>
  </p>
  <p><em>I'm sorry I was messing around at work the other day. </em> <em>I know that you pay me to pump gas and work on cars, </em> <em>not be hanging out with my girlfreind. </em> <em>Thank you for not suspending or fireing me. </em> <em>I'm gonna work harder in the future. I promise. </em> <em>Darry tanned me good and I'd understand </em> <em>if you wanna whip me too (though hopefully not right now because I'm still real sore). Anyway, I'm really</em> <em>s</em><em>orry again and I promise I'm </em><em>gonna do better. </em></p>
  <p>
    <em>Sodapop Curtis</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>"You'd really let Jimmy whup you?" Darry asked, curious. He'd never insisted that Soda offer that. It wasn't that uncommon for other parents in the neighborhood to spank a neighbor's kid when they acted up, so it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibilities. Jimmy had two grown boys of his own, the younger one about five years older than Darry, and he and their father had been good friends. </p><p>"He's threatened it before, but I'm pretty sure he's all talk," Soda said.</p><p>"What've you been doing that Jimmy's been threatening to tan your hide?"</p><p>"Oh you know, the usual. Selling information to the Soviets. Trafficking drugs across the border," Soda quipped.</p><p>"You're a wise ass, you know that?" Darry said, but let it go. He didn't need to be overseeing every interaction Soda had with his boss. He picked up the other letter and started reading. </p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>Dear Darry, </em>
  </p>
  <p><em>I'm awful sorry about what I said to you yesterday. It was mean and rude and I won't say things like that again. </em><em>I really shouldn't have brought up you not going to college. Me and Pony are real lucky you decided to stick around and take care of us instead of putting us in a boys home.</em> <em>Your a really good big brother and deserve our respect. </em><em>Good thing Ponyboy wasn't home because I would've set a real bad exampel for him. I deserved the whupping you gave me. The soap too. I'm sure regretting my choices. Thank you for not making me quit dating Michelle. I'm gonna work hard to earn your trust back and proof that I'm responsible again. </em></p>
  <p>
    <em>Your brother, </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Sodapop Curtis</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>"Stand up," Darry said, Sodapop eyeing him warily. An order to stand up was usually followed by a smack, but this time, Darry just grabbed the kid into a bear hug, "That letter was good Sodapop. Real good."</p><p>"Thanks Dar," Soda replied, and Darry held him even tighter. Soda's letter was honest and sincere and made Darry remember just how good of a heart his brother had. The kid had let his mouth get away from him the night before, but Darry wouldn't hold it against him. He'd have to go back to being the bad guy later when he took the kid over to apologize for his boss, but for now, he was content to hold the kid and tell him everything was alright. And if Darry let out a few tears while holding his kid brother, well, nobody would ever know. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Grand Theft Bicycle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to vivian_36 and Gale for the suggestions!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Wanna explain to me why there's a kid's bike sitting in my house?" Darry asked, meeting Dallas outside as he came up the driveway. He'd found the bike shoved in the corner of the living room that morning. It was too small for any of the boys, clearly belonging to a grade schooler, or maybe a small junior high kid. In fact, Darry was pretty sure it belonged to Sammy Jenkins down the block. The bike was pretty beat up, obviously second hand, which just made things worse. Swiping a bike from a rich kid was one thing but swiping it from a poor kid was just plain mean. </p><p>"Don't know nothing about it," Dally said, with a small smile that told everything he needed to know. Dally had stolen the kid's bike and was proud of it.</p><p>"You don't, huh?" Darry said, glaring at the kid, "Well, I'm guessing somebody decided to rob a little kid last night for whatever goddamn reason."</p><p>"I dunno, Dar, wasn't me," Dally shrugged.</p><p>"Well all the boys were here last night, 'cept you and Johnny. So I guess Johnny stole it then? " Darry asked, calling Dally's bluff. He'd questioned Johnny as soon as he showed up that morning, knowing that he and Dally were together the night before. Johnny had admitted to lifting the bike with enough detail for Darry to know that he'd indeed been involved and not just covering for Dal. What Darry couldn't believe was that Johnny had done this alone or that this had been his idea in the slightest. He'd told him as much and set the kid to writing 'I will not steal from little kids,' while they waited for Dallas to arrive. Darry figured if Dally didn't show up in an hour, he'd give Johnny a reprieve and go looking for Dal. </p><p>"Nah, man, Johnny and me were at the drive in last night," Dallas replied, starting to go on the defensive once Johnny's name was brought up. That was good at least. Showed Dally cared about something. </p><p>"Ya'll need to get your story straight, because Johnny already confessed. Said he did it alone though."</p><p>"Look, I don't know why the little shit would say that, but it ain't true."</p><p>"Well, somebody's gotta get a whipping for this, and since the kid confessed, I guess it'll be him." Darry said, watching Dally go pale at the mention of Johnny getting a whipping. Darry would never use his belt on Johnny, but Dally didn't need to know that. </p><p>"You don't gotta be handing out no whippings for this," Dally argued, "I'll take Johnny to go bring the bike back and all will be square, alright?"</p><p>"Well that's a start, but I gotta make sure he don't ever do this again," Darry said, getting madder as this stupid argument went on. They both knew that Dallas was involved and Darry just wanted to get this over with.</p><p>"You're not whipping him," Dally said, eyes blazing.</p><p>"Yes, I am. I won't have him turning into the neighborhood bully on my watch," Darry said, before deciding to change tactics, "Actually, you know what, he looks up to you so much, I think you should do it."</p><p>If he weren't so annoyed, Darry would've chuckled at the horrified look on Dally's face when he took his belt off and and offered it to the kid. He knew was taking a risk that the kid wouldn't grab the belt and wrap it around his neck. </p><p>"What the fuck! I'm not gonna whip him, especially for something that he didn't do!"</p><p>"Well, he was pretty adamant that he did it and did it alone. So unless you got something to tell me..." Darry said, trailing off. </p><p>"Alright, fine, it was me, damnit!" Dally said, "That little Jenkins brat was pissing me off so I swiped his bike. He's lucky I didn't kick his ass while I was at it."</p><p>"Jesus Christ, Dallas, you're seventeen years old, and he's what, ten?" Darry scolded, "And it's not like this is some Soc kid. His folks can't afford to buy him another and you know that."</p><p>"Oh fuck you Darry! Sorry I'm not some boy scout like you!" Dally said, turning to storm off. "And you leave Johnny out of this! All he did was keep watch!" </p><p>"You know, I was willing to let Johnny off with the lines I have him writing, and maybe a few pops to his backside, instead of the good spanking he's rightly earned for stealing and lying to me," Darry said coolly, "But if you storm out of here, I might have to rethink that."</p><p>"You wouldn't dare," Dally hissed at him, looking murderous. In truth, Darry hadn't decided whether or not to whup Johnny or let him off. He knew Johnny knew better than to steal with Dally or lie to him about it. Darry would've been justified in giving him a spanking. Honestly, he would've been dishing out a paddling if it were anyone else, but he knew how easily Johnny could be persuaded to follow Dally into trouble. Giving Dally the good whipping he deserved would probably teach Johnny just as much as spanking the kid. And the thought of Johnny getting more punishment would be a good motivator for Dally to behave. </p><p>"I'm not gonna give the kid anything he didn't earn," Darry said firmly, "But I'm giving you the chance to show him how serious this is so I don't have to deliver the lesson to his backside."</p><p>Dally glared at him for a moment and before muttering, "Fine."</p><p>"Alright, come inside, I wanna have a chat with both of y'all." Darry threaded his belt back on, not wanting Johnny to think it was for him and panic. He turned toward the house and headed for the kitchen with Dally behind him, ignoring Ponyboy and Soda in the living room. It would probably do Dally some good to be lectured in front of them. Humble him a little. Darry motioned for Dally to take a seat at the kitchen table beside Johnny. </p><p>"I didn't tell him nothing," Johnny whispered. Dally nodded solemnly. Darry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was glad the boys had each other's backs, but not like this.</p><p>"Lemme see," Darry said, putting his hand out for the pages. He glanced over the three pages quickly before giving a small smile, "Good job." </p><p>"Thanks," Johnny said bashfully, ducking his head. Darry reminded himself to praise the kid more often.</p><p>"Let's get all the facts straight before we do anything else," Darry said, "Johnny, Dal already fessed up about the stealing being his idea, but what I don't know is why the hell someone would want to steal a kid's bike."</p><p>"Little brat wasn't looking where he was going. Almost ran straight into me. I wanted to pound him into the dirt but Johnny convinced me to let him go. I was still hacked off about it later so we went and swiped the bike. Johnny didn't want me to do that neither, but I was done listening by that point, so we stole it." </p><p>Darry rewarded Johnny with another smile when Dally mentioned that Johnny stopped him from beating the kid up. "Well you're lucky you didn't hurt that kid or I might've forgotten my rule about no fighting amongst ourselves," Darry said sternly, meaning it. He never would use his fists to discipline his boys, but that wouldn't be discipline; it would be justice.  Darry could be pretty damn protective of little kids, especially one's from their neighborhood who already had it tough enough. Looking after a bunch of kid brothers your whole life would do that to you. </p><p>"And you clearly knew that stealing from a kid is wrong, took part in it anyway," Darry said, turning back to Johnny, "You could've gotten me or Soda or Two-Bit or even just walked away and not kept watch for Dal and we could've avoided having this conversation. You savvy?</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny said, looking down at the table sadly.</p><p>"I realize you tried, kiddo," Darry said, softening his tone, "That's why I'm not gonna give you a whupping, just a little reminder to do what you already know is right."</p><p>"Yes, Dar," Johnny said, perking up a little at the idea that he wasn't getting a real spanking. </p><p>"You on the other hand are getting a whupping," Darry said, turning to Dallas, "Even with Johnny telling you not to, you still stole that kid's bike." </p><p>Darry watched as Johnny's eyes went wide. Good, this would be a lesson for both of them.</p><p>"And when we're done, the three of us will be talking a trip over there to apologize to Sammy and his folks."</p><p>"C'mon Dar, you know all the parents in the neighborhood already hate me," Dally complained.</p><p>"And whose fault is that?" Darry asked with a glare. Dally glared back but didn't say anything. They both knew the answer. "Let's get this done before the kid is missing his bike for too long. Johnny stand up."</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny said, getting up from his chair and standing in front of Darry. The kid was so eager to please it broke Darry's heart sometimes.</p><p>"Pull your pants down," Darry said firmly, ignoring the big sad eyes in front of him.</p><p>"Dar!" Dally protested.</p><p>"Relax, I'm not gonna give him that many. I just want him to feel the ones I do." And he wanted to make sure Johnny didn't have any marks courtesy of his old man before spanking him, but Darry didn't feel the need to bring that up just then. All it would do was embarrass Johnny.  </p><p>Dally humphed but didn't argue any more. Darry propped his foot up over a chair and pulled Johnny over his leg. A quick peek to one side of the kid's butt near the bottom of his briefs revealed no marks or bruises, so Darry didn't waste any time before smacking the kid sharply on the backside. Darry wasn't using much strength, but he flicked his wrist at the end to give it a little sting. He kept going for ten smacks, delivering the last few to the spot at the bottom of his butt that the underwear didn't completely cover. It couldn't have hurt all that much, but Darry knew putting the kid over his knee and spanking him a little would make an impact on the sensitive kid. Hopefully enough to stop this from happening again and clear any guilt he had over the crime. Plus, if Mr. Jenkins put up a fuss, Darry would be able to say that he whupped both of them (Whupping was a stretch for the punishment he gave Johnny, but it's not like Mr. Jenkins would check). Putting Johnny back on his feet, Darry gave the kid a minute to rub his butt before pulling him into a hug. </p><p>"I don't like that you went along with the bike stealing, but I'm proud of you for standing up to Dal," Darry murmured into the kid's ear. Johnny wasn't distraught, so Darry just held him for a second before giving him a tight squeeze and letting him go. Any sting Johnny was feeling would be gone by the time Darry was done whupping Dallas. </p><p>"Sorry, Dar," Johnny said, pulling his jeans back on.</p><p>"Forgiven," Darry said, before turning to Dally, "Now I believe you and me have some business to settle."</p>
<hr/><p>Dally didn't know how he ended up in this position again. Well, that wasn't true. He knew how, he just didn't want to accept it. He'd gone soft. He knew it was over the minute Darry mentioned Johnny getting a whipping because of him. He wanted to beat on Darry for even suggesting it. Dal was pretty sure Darry was bluffing, but not sure enough to risk it. And the idea that Dally should take a belt to Johnny? Darry had to be bluffing there. Dally smacked Johnny upside the head sometimes and even lectured him a bit, but he wasn't gonna whup him!</p><p>If he was being honest, the game was probably up when Darry found the bike. Who else would steal a kid's bike? Dally was so high from the thrill of not getting caught that he hadn't thought of a better place to stash it. Okay, maybe the couple beers he'd drank that night didn't help either. He wasn't drunk but he wasn't sober either. He was certainly sober when Darry marched him out to the garage with a firm grip on his upper arm. He wished he'd had a few drinks beforehand. Maybe it'd hurt a little less. </p><p>"You know the drill," Darry said when they'd made it to the garage. Dally did know the drill. Probably less than anyone else, except maybe Johnny (but for completely different reasons). As he moved the sawhorse, Dally idly wondered if the structure was used more times for whupping ass than actual construction projects. Well, Mr. Curtis did work in carpentry and was doing that long before Darry and Sodapop were old enough to get their butts whupped, so maybe it was actually used for its intended purpose more often than not. Damnit why was he thinking about this right now?</p><p>Once everything was in place, Dally reluctantly pushed his jeans down and bent over, but not before sending a glare to Darry that a lesser man would cower at. Actually, pretty much everyone, other than Darry would shrink back from his glare, but as usual, Darry was unshakable. It wasn't long before Dally felt a firm hand pressed to his back and heard the noise of the belt as it swished through the air. He let out a small hiss on impact but otherwise stayed still; he knew how this went.</p><p>Darry whupped him fast and Dally could feel the heat building up with each smack. He wanted to yell and cuss Darry out, but he knew that would only lead to some licks falling on his legs and he most certainly didn't want that. God, he hated getting his butt whupped, but it was better than the alternative--leaving the gang behind and letting Johnny get punished more. Plus, Johnny got punished and he <em>barely </em>did anything. It was certainly less severe than what Dally was getting, and he was damn glad of that at least.</p><p>As the belt continued to fall, Dally tried to remind himself that this was the way Darry kept the gang in line. In theory, it wasn't so different from what Shepard did to his men. Darry was just handing out discipline in a different way. He could preach all he wanted about helping them grow up right, but Dally didn't buy into any of it. He hadn't been a kid since he was locked up for the first time at 10. He was too far gone for any belt licking to change who he was. Lying, cheating, and stealing was all he knew. </p><p>But Johnny wasn't hard. And damnit if he wasn't making Dally go soft. He liked to act tough, like nothing could get to him, but even the mention of Johnny getting a whipping made him want to die. Johnny didn't need to be stealing from little kids. He could be an upstanding member of society someday. This was his penance from roping Johnny into his crime. That thought almost made the belt seem easier to take, somehow.</p><p>As the whupping progressed, Dally was less able to think coherently about what he'd done and was more focused on the pain. He was sure that Darry had covered every inch of his backside nearly twice now. It stung plenty, but he'd felt worse. Darry had doubled over to belt, so it wasn't a wild and uncontrolled whipping like what Dally had experienced in his childhood. The belt only fell on his butt and the tops of his thighs, only moving to the middle of his thighs if he mouthed off, which so far, he'd managed not to. </p><p>The whipping from Darry was measured, but that didn't mean that it didn't damn well hurt. Dally felt a few tears leak from his eyes and drop onto the floor. Without the white hot anger combined with an almost giddiness that came from a fight, Dally could feel the punishment well and good.</p><p>"You gonna steal from little kids again?" Darry asked, the belt pausing briefly. </p><p>"Never," Dally said quickly, and was shocked to know he'd actually meant it. He had felt a pang of guilt when Darry mentioned that the kid's folks didn't have the money to buy him a new one. The night before, he'd rationalized that, other than being poor, it seemed like the Jenkins kid had a pretty good life. Two parents and some kid siblings. Nothing like he or Johnny grew up with. Missing his bike wouldn't be the end of the world. But then it dawned on him that Ponyboy, Soda, and Darry had had a pretty good home life as well, before their parents died. He didn't think a ten year old Ponyboy deserved to have his bike stolen from him and so maybe the Jenkins kid didn't neither. Damnit, Dally was getting softer by the minute. </p><p>Dally gripped the bottom beam of the sawhorse tight while Darry whipped the bottom of his butt and the top of his thighs. He was properly crying now and barely trying to hide it. Finally, the licking of the belt stopped, but the fire burning on Dally's ass unfortunately didn't. He felt Darry's hand start to rub his back, and Dally was too worn out to complain. He sure as hell wasn't gonna sit in Darry's lap like Ponyboy or even Johnny sometimes did, but he appreciated the attempt at comfort. </p><p>Realizing that he still bent over with his bare ass up in the air, Dally stood up and jerked his pants and underwear up, hissing at the contact his briefs made with his ass. The sudden motion knocked Darry's hand off his back and the man stood back and gave him some space. </p><p>"You okay?" Darry asked, looking at him. Dally nodded, not trusting his voice yet. The guy had just whupped his ass. He wasn't about to bawl in front of him too. </p><p>"You want a minute to clear your head?" Darry asked and Dally nodded again. He really did just wanna be alone for a minute. Darry squeezed him on the shoulder before leaving the garage. Without Darry there, Dally let himself cry a little and rub his ass. When he felt like he could face the world again, Dally made his way from the garage over to the house, his butt still throbbing.</p><p>He opened the front door to the Curtis house to almost be barreled into by Johnny. Anyone else he'd knock flat on their ass, but Johnny immediately grabbed him into a hug. Telling himself that he was comforting the kid, and not the other way around, he hugged him back with one arm, smoothing back Johnny's untamable hair with the other. He was pretty sure he saw Darry smirk at him, as if to say, 'you're getting a hug whether you like it or not.'</p>
<hr/><p>As they walked over to the Jenkins' house, Johnny was glad that his butt didn't hurt anymore, but felt bad that Dally's did. He knew that Dally was more at fault than him, but he still didn't like the idea that his hero got his butt whupped. Johnny didn't even mind getting a spanking from Darry all that much, although he'd never gotten a whipping from him. For Johnny, knowing that whatever he'd done had upset Darry enough to spank him was worse than the spanking itself. He'd always been sensitive like that. His father clobbered him good sometimes, but it was the screaming at him and ignoring him that really got to him. He knew Darry, unlike his parents, cared about him and only spanked him because he wanted him to be safe and grow up good. </p><p>They made it up to the door, with Dally rolling the bike alongside them. At Darry's nod, Johnny knocked on the door, lightly at first, but then loud enough so they could actually hear it. A few seconds later, Sammy's father opened the door.</p><p>"Morning, boys. Something I can do for ya?" Mr. Jenkins asked, before noticing the bike, "Is that Sammy's bike? Where'd you boys find it?"</p><p>"Hi Mr. Jenkins, yes it is. Sorry to bother you, but is Sammy home?" Darry asked, "These boys have something to say to both you and him."</p><p>"Sure, just gimme a minute," Mr. Jenkins said, disappearing inside and returning a moment later with his son. </p><p>"My bike!" Sammy said, grinning widely when he saw it. Johnny felt a pang of guilt at what they'd done. The poor kid had obviously been missing the bike.</p><p>"Boys," Darry said gruffly.</p><p>"Sammy, uh Dally and I swiped your bike last night but we're real sorry," Johnny said, "We brought it back for ya."</p><p>"Why'd you do that?"</p><p>"Some stupid reason,"  Johnny said, "But we both got in trouble, so don't ever try that, take my word for it."</p><p>"What kind of trouble?" Sammy asked.</p><p>"I had to write a lot of lines this morning and then Darry tanned me a little," Johnny admitted. The kid's eyes got huge as he looked at Darry. All the kids in the neighborhood had a healthy respect for the guy and this would only add to it.</p><p>"Good man," Mr. Jenkins replied, looking at Darry. Johnny agreed; Darry was a good man.</p><p>"Dallas, I believe you had something to say as well," Darry said.</p><p>"Sorry, kid. Here's your bike back," Dally replied, pushing the it toward the kid.</p><p>"Did you get a licking too?" Sammy asked. Johnny was surprised at that. If the neighborhood kids respected Darry, they feared Dal, but apparently the apology had made him bold. Johnny saw Darry put a firm hand on Dally's neck in warning. Johnny imagined that the hand on his neck and the pain in his butt was the only thing keeping Dally from losing his cool. </p><p>"Let's leave that between Dallas and his big brother, kiddo. You wouldn't want everybody in the neighborhood asking about it when you get a spanking," Mr. Jenkins said, ending the line of questioning. That was good. Johnny didn't think Dally could take another blow to his reputation after already being forced to apologize.  </p><p>"We're really sorry again, Mr. Jenkins," Johnny added, "And not just 'cause we got in trouble."</p><p>"Appreciate that, boys. Glad Darry took you both to task or I may have had to do it myself," The man replied sternly before turning to Darry, "Looks like you're doing a fine job with all them boys."</p><p>"Thank you, sir," Darry said, "I'd appreciate it if we kept this between us. No need for Johnny's folks to hear anything about this now that it's already been dealt with."</p><p>"Of course, son," Mr. Jenkins said, giving Johnny a sad smile. The whole neighborhood could hear his parents screaming at him or each other on practically a daily basis. It was embarrassing to have it brought up, but it was better than the alternative. </p><p>Darry made polite small talk with Mr. Jenkins, telling him how Ponyboy was doing in school and listening to him brag about Sammy and his kid sisters. After a few minutes and one last apology from Johnny, and a sincere nod from Dally, the boys made their way back to the Curtis house. Johnny was glad to have the incident put behind him. Now that he'd been punished and Sammy had his bike back, Johnny's conscience was clear. He couldn't promise he wouldn't go along with whatever crazy stunt Dally wanted to pull next, but he certainly wouldn't be stealing no more bikes. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Then and Now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Grab your knees."</p><p>Darry could still hear those three words ringing in his head, almost three years out of high school. He'd only heard them twice: once his sophomore year and once his senior year. He managed to escape the rest of the time without a paddling from the vice principal. He was paddled other times by his football coach, but that was different somehow. Coach barked at you to touch your toes, popped you a few times, and you moved on. No hard feelings, and more importantly, no call home.</p><p>A paddling from the principal was different. It was proceeded by a long wait on the bench outside the office, a stern lecture, and threats of marks to his otherwise clean permanent record. Then the paddle. It hurt, mind you, but not as much as a whupping from his dad. The maximum the vice principal could give was six, but Darry had only earned three the first time and four the second time. For model student-athlete Darry Curtis, the idea of getting into enough trouble to earn himself a paddling was worse than the paddling itself.</p><p>That, and the fact that the parents were called. The first time it happened, his Dad sat him down and gave him a long lecture about behaving in school. He'd never been paddled in grade school or junior high, so he thought his chances of getting off lightly this time were good. He was right. Mr. Curtis didn't spank him any more on top of that, but warned that if it happened again, he wouldn't get off so easily. </p><p>Darry wasn't as strict with his brothers about getting into trouble at school. They may get the ire of the vice principal once and awhile (okay, maybe more than that), but nothing the boys had done at school was particularly dangerous or malicious. But when Two-Bit got himself paddled twice in one month, Mr. Wright called Two-Bit's mother, who in turn called Darry. She had gushed about how behaved she knew Darry always was in school and asked if he could talk some sense into Two-Bit. So Darry sat Two-Bit down and warned him if he got paddled again this semester, Darry would do some paddling of his own. </p><p>When Mrs. Mathews called Darry to let him know that she'd gotten another call from the principal, Darry knew he had to make good on his promise. It had barely a month since they'd had the their conversation. He just kinda felt like a hypocrite for coming down on Two-Bit for this. It wasn't too long ago that they were in this position together.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1962</em>
</p><p>It was a teacher work day, but Darry had come by to use the weights in school gym and, for whatever reason, Two-Bit had decided to tag along. When Darry was done his workout, he and Two-Bit had started messing around outside of school and Two-Bit, in a moment of genius, decided to scale the gutter and climb up on the school roof. Darry had originally been intent on stopping him when he climbed after the younger boy, but once he got up there he decided to stick around. The golden boy was enjoying the allure of breaking rules for once. The two boys sat there for close to a half hour, just shooting the breeze, before their math teacher happened to walk by. She hollered for them to get down before marching them straight to the vice principal's office.</p><p>Sitting on the bench next to a fifteen year old Two-Bit, almost eighteen year old Darry was both impressed and mortified over the younger boy's lack of concern. Two-Bit was a regular in the vice principal's office. It was only his freshman year and Two-Bit had already been paddled three times. The kid's mother never did more than fuss at him and ground him for a few days, even though she worked too much to ever really enforce it. Darry's father stepped in at times, like when Two-Bit misbehaved at the Curtis house or alongside one of his boys, but the kid's mother let him get away with murder. There was just something about him that made it hard to stay mad at him. Darry was sure he wasn't getting off as lightly as Two-Bit. He figured he was at least in for a spanking, if not a whipping with his dad's belt.</p><p>"Come on in, boys," Mr. Wright said, breaking Darry out of his thoughts. Both boys followed the man into his office and took a seat in front of his desk. The vice principal looked at them sternly. "Mrs. Davidson told me she found you on the roof?"</p><p>"Yessir," Darry replied politely. His parents had always taught him to respect authority, especially when he was in trouble.</p><p>"What in goodness name were you doing up there?"</p><p>"Just making sure everything's up to code," Two-Bit replied. Darry kicked him in attempt to shut him up.</p><p>"Sorry about him, sir. We were just messing around and we ended up on the roof and then we just started talking. We didn't really think it through too much," Darry replied honestly, relieved when the man gave him a small nod.</p><p>"You know I could call the police for this?" The vice principal asked sternly. </p><p>"Please don't, Mr. Wright!" Darry said, feeling the color drain out of his face, "I'm up for a scholarship and they'll take it away if I get into trouble with the law."</p><p>"Well, I'm glad you seem to realize how serious this is. I wish I could say the same for your friend over here," Mr. Wright said, glaring at Two-Bit.</p><p>"Oh I'm taking this very seriously, sir," Two-Bit said, grinning, "Serious as a heart attack."  </p><p>"You better wisen up, and quick, young man," Mr. Wright replied, "I'm about sick of paddling you for whatever ridiculous stunt you've just pulled. You think life's all fun and games, but the real world's gonna hit you soon and you are not going to like it."</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit said, finally coming to his senses the least bit.</p><p>"I'm not going to call the police, but I am calling both of your parents." Mr. Wright said firmly, "And since you both know this was a flagrant violation of school rules, you shouldn't be surprised to hear that you're getting paddled."</p><p>"Yessir," both boys replied in unison. Darry's stomach sank at the reminder of his parents being called.</p><p>"Darrel, please step outside for a moment," Mr. Wright said.</p><p>"Yessir," Darry repeated, hurrying out of the office and retaking his seat on the bench. He nervously fiddled with the hem of his black t-shirt while he waited for his turn. He knew it wouldn't be a quick wait. First, Mr. Wright would lecture, and with Two-Bit's incessant need to make jokes, that would probably take a while. The paddling itself wouldn't take all that long, but there was a formality to it that made it seem to drag on. </p><p>Darry could hear the muffled voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Every time Mr. Wright's voice got louder, Darry winced, hoping Two-Bit wasn't digging himself into more trouble. After what felt like hours, the talking stopped and Darry didn't hear anything until the first swat rang out. Darry winced at the loud pop it made. Ten or so seconds later, the second pop came. Then the third. And the fourth. </p><p>"You're lucky I didn't add another for disrespect, young man," Mr. Wright said, as he opened the door to his office and ushered Two-Bit out. "I'll be telling your mother about it, however. Darrel, you're up."</p><p>Darry nodded and walked back into the office, once again taking a seat at the desk. He couldn't help but cuss out Two-Bit in his head for making the vice principal mad just in time for Darry to get his turn with the paddle. The implement was still out on the desk when Darry came in. It was thicker than his father's paddle, and a single swat hurt a lot more, but he'd be getting many fewer swats. Darry's father's paddle was light and thin. It stung like hell but didn't do any lasting damage. He imagined the school paddle could do some real damage if used too hard.</p><p>Mr. Wright proceeded to give him a long lecture on everything from obeying school rules, to safety, to taking responsibility for his actions. Darry flushed at being a senior lectured like some junior high kid, but nodded his head politely. The real kicker wasn't until the end when the vice principal said, "I expected better from you, Darrel."</p><p>"Yessir," Darry responded, meaning it. He'd expected better from himself. </p><p>"Okay, stand up," Mr. Wright said, doing the same. Darry noticed that he'd already taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves."Empty your back pockets."</p><p>Darry reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, placing it on the desk. "That's all, sir."</p><p>"Grab your knees."</p><p>Darry did as he was told, and all too soon an almighty swat landed on his backside, rocking him forward a bit. Just like with Two-Bit, Mr. Wright left a bit of time between swats to allow the pain to really sink in. Just when he thought the sting might be starting to fade, a second strike landed. Darry closed his eyes and focused on remaining in position. The last two came in succession, just as hard as the first. Darry was awfully relieved once it was over. </p><p>"Stand up," Mr. Wright said, and Darry stood and turned to face the man. "This better be the last time I see you here. Understood?" </p><p>"Yessir," Darry nodded, grabbing his wallet off the desk, "It won't happen again."</p><p>"Good man," the vice principal praised, "Go on and wait with your buddy while I call both of your folks. And see if you can pass on some of your manners to him while you're at it."</p><p>"Yessir," Darry replied, sore but beaming at the little bit of praise. He joined Two-Bit in the hall, sitting down gingerly on the bench. He knew his butt was only going to get sorer as the day went on, seeing as the principal was calling his parents and Two-Bit's mother. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1965</em>
</p><p>The phone rang in the Curtis house just as Darry arrived home from work. He'd worked the early shift that day, so he was home by mid afternoon, before he had to go back out for his night job.</p><p>"Hello?" </p><p>"Oh, Darry, hi, I'm glad I reached you." </p><p>"Hi Mrs. Mathews, how are you?"</p><p>"Oh, been better," the woman replied,"Keith's got himself in trouble again." </p><p>Darry sighed at her use of Two-Bit's real name. Like most of them, she only used it when she was pretty damn annoyed with him. </p><p>"What is it this time?" Darry asked.</p><p>"He set his art project on fire," Mrs. Mathews replied, and Darry could almost hear her shaking her head, "Told his teacher to grade it quick before it was gone."</p><p>"He get himself paddled again?" Darry sighed.</p><p>"Yes, and I'm at my wits end. And I'm told he gave the vice principal a lot of lip. I swear, should've been stricter with him when he was small. Maybe then he wouldn't have such a smart mouth," Mrs. Mathews sighed.</p><p>"Something tells me no amount of whuppings or bars of soap would make Two-Bit not have a smart mouth," Darry said, "It's just who he is. But I can talk to him about getting in trouble in school and his jokes too, if you wan't."</p><p>"I'd appreciate that, Darry," Mrs. Mathews replied, "You know, your Dad was the only real father that boy ever had growing up, and you've been doing a real good job looking after him too. I just hate that he causes you trouble. You have your own brothers to worry about.</p><p>"Two-Bit is my brother," Darry said, "Just like Johnny, Dally, and Steve. I couldn't turn my back on any of them any more than I could Sodapop or Ponyboy."</p><p>"He's lucky to have you."</p><p>"I'm not so sure he'll think be thinking that after we've had our conversation," Darry said wryly.</p><p>"Well, give him a few from me," Mrs. Curtis said, "Lord knows I'd do it myself but last time I tried he just made jokes the whole time and he was only in junior high then. It's either he doesn't take it seriously or he charms me right out of it."</p><p>"Both of those sound familiar," Darry snorted. Mrs. Mathews could be soft on her son, but Darry had tremendous respect for the woman. Two-Bit's father had run out on them when the boy was only eight, right around when his kid sister was born. Since then, she had been doing it on her own and doing her damn best for both of them. Darry didn't mind stepping in sometimes to bring down the hammer. Even if he felt a little bit like a hypocrite.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1962</em>
</p><p>"Uh Mr. Curtis? Aren't you gonna drop me home?" Two-Bit asked as the man passed his street. Both he and Darry were sat in the backseat of Mr. Curtis' car. They'd left Darry's truck at school, so the boys would have to walk back and get it later. Two-Bit's mother had to work so they were both being picked up by Mr. Curtis. As they left the school, Darry had gone to get in the front seat, as was usual, but his father had stopped him. If he wanted to behave like a little boy, he could sit in the back seat like one. Darry had been mortified but shuffled over to the back seat. </p><p>"No, Keith, you're coming home with us," Mr. Curtis replied seriously. He was usually a jokester like Two-Bit, so when he turned serious, the kids knew he meant business. "Your mom is sick of you getting into trouble at school. She's asked me to straighten you out."</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit replied, sinking down in his seat. He seemed to finally realize how much trouble they were in. Darry knew Two-Bit was familiar with his father's strong right arm.  They'd been punished together, Two-Bit had been punished the younger boys, and Two-Bit had caught it alone for misbehaving at the Curtis house. In fact, Darry was pretty sure the younger boy had been spanked by Darrel Sr. just as much as Darry himself had.</p><p>When they arrived home, Mr. Curtis, with a firm hand on the scruff of each of their necks, guided them toward the boy's bedroom. </p><p>"Bring the boys in here first, Darrel," Mrs. Curtis called, not sounding happy. Damn, Darry had been so busy thinking about the whupping he was gonna get from his father that he hadn't even thought about facing his irate mom. His father marched them into the kitchen where his mother was standing with her hands on her hips. She was always the sterner of the two parents. Their father rarely popped them or sent them to the corner for little things, only calling them out for major offenses. Sometimes Mr. Curtis would even get into mischief right along side the boys, like letting them eat ice cream before dinner or wrestling with them in the dirt. His mother would be the one telling them off, but she had a sense of humor as well, threatening to spank Darrel Sr. with the spoon alongside the boys if they ever did such and such again.</p><p>There was no teasing in Maggie Curtis' tone that day.</p><p>"All yours," Darrel Sr. said, handing the boy's over. </p><p>"Well, what've you got to say for yourselves?" Mrs. Curtis asked. </p><p>"We're sorry," Darry said, and Two-Bit nodded his head.</p><p>"You should be! I mean, my heavens! Climbing on the school roof? What were you thinking?"</p><p>"We weren't thinking, Mom." Darry replied, almost wishing Soda was the one in trouble with him. He was always good at batting his eyelashes and sweet talking his mom. </p><p>"This isn't like you at all, Darry," his mom said with a frown, "I have to say I'm pretty disappointed in your behavior. You're almost eighteen now, not a little boy anymore."</p><p>"'Yessum, I'm sorry," Darry said, feeling the sting of his mother's scolding just as much as the earlier paddle swats.  </p><p>"And you!" Darry's mother said, turning to Two-Bit, "What's this I hear about you being paddled four times this year?"</p><p>"Yes ma'am." Two-Bit said.</p><p>"Well, Mr. Curtis better tan that right out of you today, because if not, I'm gonna paddle your backside myself. Understand?"</p><p>"Yes, ma'am," Two-Bit repeated. Darry looked at him sympathetically. Though she'd popped him with her spoon plenty of times since, Darry hadn't gotten a spanking from his mother since grade school. It was not a pleasant experience. His mother was a force to be reckoned with.</p><p>"Alright, go on, then," Mrs. Curtis said to her husband. Mr. Curtis cocked his head toward the door and both boys filed out of the kitchen toward the bedrooms. Darry could hear his father rustle around in the hall closet.</p><p>"Seems fitting, paddled at school, paddled at home," Darry's father said, entering the bedroom that Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy shared. "It seems like between your mother and the vice principal, you've been lectured plenty, so we might as well just get this done. Keith, you're first. Darrel, you wait in the corner." </p><p>"Yessir," Darry replied, moving to the far corner of the room. With nothing to look at but the wall, it was like the sounds were amplified. Darry could hear the zipper on Two-Bit's pants and the rustle of them being pulled down. Based on the fact that he hadn't heard an order to take them down, he figured his father was doing it himself. That was probably the right move with Two-Bit. He could be slow to obey if he thought he could talk his way out of something. </p><p>All too soon, Darry heard the smacking begin. From the somewhat muffled sound, he was pretty sure that his father was starting with his hand on Two-Bit's underwear. Darry hated standing there listening to the kid, who was basically his little brother, get his butt handed to him. He had always tried to look after the kid. This was the first time since grade school, when Darry was in sixth grade and Two-Bit was in third, that they were in the same building. In those days, Soda and Steve were in second, and Johnny in first, so he had a handful of little brothers to look out for. Though most of them could hold their own, Darry had intimidated a fair number of bullies and opponents, especially for small-for-his-age Johnny. All the boys were scrappy, never backing down from a fight, but sometimes it paid to have big brother step in. There was nothing scarier to a smart mouthed second grader than a sixth grader threatening to kick his butt. </p><p>Now that Darry was a senior in high school, he looked after Two-Bit in a different way. He still made sure that none of the upperclassmen messed with him too much, but that was more so Two-Bit didn't get himself hauled into the office for fighting. He also picked Two-Bit up for school in the morning, at his father's suggestion. It was the only chance any of them had of getting Two-Bit to actually show up most of the time. He also just generally showed him the ropes, the way he knew Two-Bit would show Steve and Soda the next year, and they in turn would show Ponyboy and Johnny when they arrived.</p><p>As Two-Bit started to holler at the impact of the smacks, Darry felt more and more guilty. Climbing on the roof had been Two-Bit's idea, sure, but Darry had gone along with it. Darry was supposed to be the one keeping them out of trouble, not leading them into it. He knew his father felt the same way, so while he desperately wanted Two-Bit's spanking to be over, he was not looking forward to his own turn over his father's knee. His face flushed as he realized that he was a month away from turning eighteen and still about to be over his father's knee.</p><p>"Owww! Mr. Curtis!" Two-Bit cried out. The smacks didn't slow or change in volume, so Darry knew his father was unfazed. The smacking continued for a minute or so more before it stopped.</p><p>"Stand up, Keith," Mr. Curtis said firmly, but not unkindly, "Trade places with Darrel."</p><p>Darry knew what was coming next so he made his way over to his father's side. He thought about asking to just bend over the bed instead of over his father's knee, but he knew it was pointless. The only time his father didn't put him over his knee was when he was getting a whipping, and he certainly didn't want that. He smiled briefly at a teary-eyed Two-Bit, who was slowly making his way to the corner in just his t-shirt and briefs.</p><p>His father didn't say anything, but unzipped and unbuttoned Darry's pants once he was in reach. Darry's face flushed as his father pulled his jeans down and helped him step out of them. It made sense to take them clean off, since he'd be likely going back to the corner while Two-Bit got his paddling, but boy did it make him feel like a little kid. His father pulled him down so that his hands and feet were on the ground, and his butt up in the air. </p><p>Before long, Darry felt his father start spanking over his underwear. He hadn't gotten a whupping in probably six months, but it still hurt the same as he remembered. His father was a roofer and all his practice hammering showed in his swing. Each smack came down with a 'whap' and Darry was sure a bright red handprint was left behind in its wake. Every time Darry got a whupping from his father, he was sure that his butt was black and blue and was almost disappointed when it wasn't. At least then he'd know his howling was justified. </p><p>Darry resisted the urge to move around to avoid the swats. The only thing worse than laying over his dad's knee would be squirming over his dad's knee. He was nearly eighteen after all! Even if he was getting a kid's punishment, he could still try to take it like a man. The knew his efforts would be futile once the paddle came out, but he could at least try to stay still for the spanking. Not an easy task when you were being spanked by Darrel Curtis. When the smacks started to land on his thighs, which not only were more sensitive but also not covered by the protection of his briefs, Darry pretty much gave up on the idea of holding still, now jolting a little with each smack. </p><p>"Keith Edward, stay still," Mr. Curtis scolded at one point, and Darry instinctually forced himself to stop moving. It wasn't until his father patted his back that he realized that the order was for Two-Bit and not him. Two-Bit did not like to stay still in the corner. It exasperated Mrs. Curtis to no end and Darry would've guessed Two-Bit's mother had given up on it entirely, knowing how the kid ran circles around her sometimes. </p><p>When he realized he wasn't the one in trouble for moving, Darry let go of some of the tension in his posture and allowed himself a little bit of movement. He even kicked his legs a few times at particularly hard smacks. Darry's butt was burning like crazy when his dad's hand finally stopped falling. He laid there a moment while his father rubbed his back gently, grateful for the chance to compose himself. </p><p>"Alright son, stand up and go back to the corner," Mr. Curtis said after a minute, "Keith, come here."</p><p>Darry wiped at his eyes and headed into the corner. He was too sore and miserable to even care that he was standing there in his underwear with his clearly red upper thighs on display. Putting his head against the wall, Darry let himself cry some more as his father handled Two-Bit. He vowed this would be the last time he'd ever get paddled at school, and he hoped Two-Bit would do the same. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1965</em>
</p><p>"How many swats you get?" Darry asked as Two-Bit walked in the door.</p><p>"Six," Two-Bit replied. "My ma already call you?" </p><p>"Yup. Why in the hell would you set your art project on fire?"</p><p>"We had to make a sculpture out of popsicle sticks. I made a bonfire," Two-Bit grinned, "You shoulda seen the look on old Mrs. Thomas' face."</p><p>"I'm more worried about the look on your mother's face when she got the call about you," Darry said sternly.</p><p>"It's no big deal," Two-Bit said, "Just another paddling. No one got hurt but my ass."</p><p>"No big deal? You gotta start taking things seriously, Keith! What happens when Mr. Wright decides he's sick of paddling you and decides to expel you instead?"</p><p>"Oh c'mon, Dare-Bear. Mr. Wright is too amused by me to kick me out of school."</p><p>"This isn't a fucking joke!" Darry all but roared, "You need to get your act together!"</p><p>"Alright, alright, you convinced me," Two-Bit said, "I'll stop getting into trouble at school."</p><p>"Yeah, that's what you said last time, we had this talk. You remember what I promised you then?"</p><p>"Darry, no!" Two-Bit complained, "It wasn't that big of a deal. You got paddled in school too, remember?"</p><p>"Oh, I remember it quite well. And I never did it again, unlike you. I think you need a paddling, same as my dad gave us back then and see if it straightens you out. Go to my room."</p><p>Darry followed behind Two-Bit, grabbing the paddle out of the drawer as he went. Apparently resigned to his fate, Two-Bit was already kicking off his sneakers and undoing his pants.</p><p>"Whole whupping's with the paddle this time," Darry warned. </p><p>"Dar!" Two-Bit complained, "You didn't get the paddle for the whole thing when it was you!" </p><p>"One," Darry said, popping his brother on the bare leg, "Considering how many times I let you off without a whuppin' for getting in trouble at school, it more than evens out. Plus you've been paddled at school far more than twice." Two-Bit was a magnet for trouble and had been spanked plenty of times during his freshman, sophomore, and first junior year by Darrel Sr. Now during Two-Bit's second junior year, it was Darry's turn. </p><p>"Over," Darry ordered, snapping his fingers and pointing to his knee. He had a feeling that he was sterner with Two-Bit than most of the others, but he needed to be. It took a lot to make Two-Bit take anything seriously and he knew the kid would take any bit of levity in his tone to mean that this wasn't all that serious. When he'd laughed at Two-Bit's extra underwear plot, the kid had done it again the next time, just with newspaper down his pants. It had been pretty damn funny the first time, but the second time Darry was careful to not show any amusement, knowing that Two-Bit would just keep doing it if he did. </p><p>Darry didn't waste time, yanking Two-Bit's underwear down as soon as the kid was over his knee. He brought the paddle down firmly and Two-Bit hissed starting right at the first one. The kid's butt was a little red from the earlier paddling, but Darry forced himself to ignore it. Obviously, school paddlings hadn't made enough of an impression Two-Bit. He seemed to listen a little better to whupping from Darry, or Darry's father before that, than he did to any discipline from the school. The kid would usually avoid doing what he'd done to get punished, at least for a little while. His smart mouth, though, came back the second the whupping was over, and sometimes even before that. </p><p>"You are not gonna get your self kicked out of school for <em>some stupid joke</em>," Darry lectured, emphasizing his last three words with three firm pops, "You will go to school and stay out of the vice principal's office. Understood?"</p><p>"Yeah, Dar," Two-Bit replied.</p><p>"What was that?" Darry asked. Darry considered making that his second warning, but with all the talk of them getting paddled together not too long ago, he decided to let it go with just a hard whack to the leg. The talk of them being paddled together made it sound like they were equals in their makeshift family. They were not, especially when Two-Bit was over Darry's knee.</p><p>"Yes sir," Two-Bit corrected, sounding reluctant.</p><p>"I know you think the 'yes, sir,' 'no, sir' thing is silly, but you've always had a problem with not being respectfully when you're already up shit's creek. I heard you were being fresh today and I also seem to remember you giving the principal lip when we were in trouble together. All it did was earn you a longer lecture and some extra from my dad."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1962</em>
</p><p>"I heard about the attitude you gave your vice principal today." Mr. Curtis said to Two-Bit, "I would give you fifteen for your age, but I'm adding two more on for the lip you gave. You and Darry will both get seventeen with the paddle. Bend over."</p><p>Darry flinched when he heard the first whack come down. When he was sitting outside the principal's office, at least the sound was muffled by the walls and door. Now, he had to hear the smacks come down and Two-Bit's resulting howls. And howl he did. Darry felt like the world's worst big brother for letting Two-Bit get into so much trouble. He was supposed to be keeping him out of trouble.</p><p>Darry didn't even bother to count the pops of the paddle as they came down. They would stop when they stopped and there was nothing Darry could do about it. Darry's father paddled Two-Bit as fast he spanked him. Not like the vice principal who let you feel it between licks. Not even a minute later, the paddling was over and Darry could hear his father reassuring Two-Bit. After a bit, he heard both of them laugh. Darrel Sr. could be stern when the boy were in trouble, but otherwise he was as goofy as Sodapop and Two-Bit.</p><p>After a beat, Darry heard the footsteps of a still sniffling Two-Bit heading back into the corner. Mr. Curtis always made them wait until the last one was punished before they were set free. </p><p>"Darrel, come here, please," Darry's father said, snapping back into his firm no-nonsense discipline voice. Darry wiped and lingering tears from his eyes, determined to face his father like a man. "You're getting seventeen swats."</p><p>"Yessir," Darry said, climbing over his father's knee without being asked. It was hard to retain any dignity while you were over your dad's lap getting your butt paddled. At least his dad had left his underwear up. He might cry some, but he was determined not to wail like a little kid. He felt the paddle pop down across his backside and bit his lip. The paddle seemed to hurt just as much as the first time he felt it at age eleven. Halfway through, his butt felt like he'd sat on hot coals and he couldn't help but cry. By the time his father finished, Darry was absolutely worn out. He'd gotten paddled, spanked, then paddled again. He wanted to complain that life was unfair, but he knew he deserved the whupping. </p><p>Darry could hear his father toss the paddle to the side. While his father rubbed his back, Darry forced himself to take his take deep breaths in order to calm down. Slowly, he got himself under control to where he was just sniffling and not full on bawling. Pushing himself off his father's knees, Darry stood in just his briefs in front of the man, unsure of what to say.</p><p>"Guess for the sake of your behind, it's good you're not eighteen yet, huh?" Darrel Sr. said with a grin, standing up and patting the side of his son's face before pulling him in for a hug. Darry melted into the embrace. His father always knew what to do and say in any situation. He just hoped that someday he could be half the father his dad was.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Dad," Darry said, leaning into his father.</p><p>"Me too, Mr. C," Two-Bit said from the corner. Darry laughed a little. Only Two-Bit would dare speak from the corner.</p><p>"C'mere, Two-Bit," Mr. Curtis said, holding out the arm that wasn't wrapped around Darry for Two-Bit. The man held the two boys for a bit before letting them go.</p><p>"Alright, get dressed and come out when you're ready. I'll tell you the story of the time your old man got his got his behind whipped with a switch for fooling around in school," Mr. Curtis said with a wink. He clapped both boys on the shoulder before leaving them in the bedroom to have a moment to themselves.</p><p>Darry looked over at Two-Bit, who was rubbing his butt for all he was worth. His rust colored hair was disheveled and his eyes were red rimmed. Darry couldn't resist pulling the younger boy into a hug.</p><p>"Whatcha doing, Superman?" Two-Bit asked. Although the boys would pile on top of each other on the couch, they didn't hug all that often. It just wasn't something teenage boys did, but in that moment, Darry just had to hug his kid brother.</p><p>"I'm sorry, kid," Darry said, "I should've yanked you down off that roof before either of us got into trouble."</p><p>"Dar, it was my idea in the first place," Two-Bit said, "You didn't do nothing but follow me up there."</p><p>"Still..." Darry said noncommittally. He resolved then that he needed to grow up, especially where his kid brothers were concerned. He had to be the one dragging them out of trouble, not joining them in it. He'd be the big brother that they could look up to. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1965</em>
</p><p>"It's time to grow up a little bit, Two-Bit," Darry lectured, as he brought the paddle down firmly, "I'm not asking you to stop making jokes and pulling pranks, but you gotta be mindful of where and when you do them."</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit gasped, obviously feeling the full extent of Darry's displeasure. The kid's backside was pretty much red all over by then, not just in the center of his butt where the school paddle had fallen, but from the top of his butt to a few inches down his thighs.  </p><p>"You set an example from your little brothers. I don't want Pony and Johnny, and even Steve, misbehaving at school because they see you do it all the time and think it's no big deal. You need to look out for them."</p><p>"I do!" Two-Bit sniffled. Darry knew this would be the part that sunk in for Two-Bit the most. Darry couldn't seem to whup an ounce of self preservation into the kid, despite his best efforts, but he could at least show him how to be a good big brother.</p><p>"I know you do," Darry said, softening his tone a bit, "You do a pretty good job of it, too. But being a big brother isn't just making sure nobody messes with them. It's also about showing them how to act right. I'm gonna give you eighteen good ones to help you remember that."</p><p>Darry knew that Two-Bit was extremely protective of the boys and framing it as setting a better example for them might be the only way to get through to him.  He didn't wait for Two-Bit to respond, just snapped the paddled down on the kid's butt with a little more strength than he had before. He had to harden his heart to Two-Bits wails, but reminded himself that just as Two-Bit had a duty to the younger boys, Darry had a duty to Two-Bit. He just wished his father were here so that his only job would be to set a good example for his brothers, not raise them. His chest tightened as he thought about his dad, but he forced himself to focus on the task at hand.</p><p>Steeling himself, Darry delivered the final five pops low across Two-Bit's sit spots, listening to the kid howl. Just like his father, Darry threw the paddle to the side and immediately started comforting the kid. He was at least glad that in this situation, he got to be the one to comfort the kid, rather than standing in the corner and not being able to do anything about it. When Two-Bit had calmed down a bit, Darry pulled his underwear back up to spare his modesty, not that he really had any. </p><p>"Geez, Dar, you paddle harder than your old man," Two-Bit complained, pushing himself up. Darry ignored the kid's complaints and pulled him into a hug. His mom and dad would hug all the boys, not just when they got a whupping, and Darry was trying to get better at remembering to do that as well. His mom, and now Johnny occasionally, were the only ones who could hug Dally without a fight.</p><p>"Yeah, well maybe you can remember that next time you're about to get paddled at school," Darry said. He knew Two-Bit would probably be a knucklehead as long as he lived, but Darry hoped the punishment would get him to wisen up, even just a little.</p><p>"I'm gonna set a better example," Two-Bit said, in a rare moment of sincerity, "Promise."</p><p>"I know you will," Darry said, holding the kid a little tighter. He believed the kid. while Two-Bit still managed to find himself plenty of trouble, Darry had noticed the kid taking up a more authoritative role with some of the younger boys in the past months. He knew his boys weren't going to stop getting into trouble any time soon, but he hoped Two-Bit, as he got older, might step up and take some of the responsibility for leading their pack of troublemakers. </p><p>Darry knew it was the realization that his bad behavior could affect his brothers that kept him on the <em>mostly</em> straight and narrow in the years leading up to their parents death, and hoped it would be the same for Two-Bit. Darry had still screwed up and ended up getting his butt whupped a handful of times, but the paddling alongside Two-Bit was the last time he got punished with one of his brothers. Being the one to dole out the paddling for this particular crime felt strange to Darry, but he knew it had to be done. His boys would grow up right and if he felt like a bit of a hypocrite in the process, so be it. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Firsts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>How Darry became the strict big brother we all know and love</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Damn, Darry's got a hard hand," Ponyboy complained, rubbing his backside as he came back into the living room to rejoin his brothers. Darry had just spanked Ponyboy for what felt like the thousandth time that month. Even though it wasn't hard whupping, barely any tears were shed, Darry had still held him for a good long while afterward before letting him leave the room. Pony was just griping for the sake of griping and they all knew it.</p><p>"Must not've been that hard," Two-Bit joked, "Couldn't hear you wailing this time."</p><p>"Shut up, Two-Bit," Ponyboy muttered, "Not like we've never heard you get your butt blistered."</p><p>"Not as many times as you," Two-Bit shot back, "Darry's been beating your butt forever."</p><p>"Nah, not forever," Darry said, "First time was when he was seven or eight and nearly sliced his feet to ribbons. Even then I just popped him a couple times."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1958</em>
</p><p>"You mad?" Ponyboy asked, chewing on his fingernail nervously. Darry looked down at the worried seven year old and the shattered picture frame. His mom and dad were at a parent teacher conference with Soda. Darry was at home babysitting the kid. The fourteen year old usually liked hanging out with his baby brother, but today Pony seemed determined to drive him up the wall. </p><p>"No, not mad, but I did ask you to stop playing ball in the house," Darry said, "I want you to stand in the corner and think about that while I clean up the glass. It's sharp and I don't want you cutting yourself."</p><p>"I can help," Ponyboy said, rushing over to the wall that the picture frame had fallen from. Luckily, Darry was quicker and grabbed the kid before he could get hurt. He picked Ponyboy up and carried him away from the glass, instinctually giving him two firm slaps to the seat of his khaki shorts.</p><p>"Ponyboy Michael, what did I just say?" Darry scolded, standing him in the opposite corner of the room, "You do not walk around broken glass without shoes on. Now stand here while I go get the broom and dustpan or I'll spank you for real."</p><p>His sensitive brother immediately burst into tears, crying way more than Darry thought the situation called for as he stood in the corner. Darry made quick work of sweeping up the glass, then going over the area with a wet towel, ensuring no shards were left to hurt his bare footed kid brother. Once it seemed like Ponyboy had stood there for long enough, Darry tapped him on the shoulder. </p><p>"I'm sorry!" Ponyboy cried, and Darry quickly got down on one knee and hugged the boy to him. </p><p>"Hey, you're alright," Darry said, "You served your time out and you're not in trouble anymore. You understand why I put you in the corner though, right?"</p><p>"I broke the picture," Pony sniffled. </p><p>"Yeah, you did, and that happened because you didn't listen to me when I asked you to put the ball away," Darry said, "And I smacked your butt because you didn't listen to me again about staying away from the glass. It was nice of you to want to help, but you could've really been hurt."</p><p>"You think I'm gonna get a spankin' when Mama and Daddy get home?" Ponyboy asked.</p><p>"No, I doubt it." Their father was pretty easy going about little stuff like a broken picture frame. Their mother was a little tougher, but he didn't think she'd want to spank Ponyboy over this. Honestly, Darry was more worried that his father was going to spank <em>him</em>. He'd never been given explicit permission to pop his kid brothers if they got out of line.</p><p>Picking Pony up, Darry figured he'd worry about that when the time came. He settled the now calmer but still clingy Ponyboy on his lap to watch TV for a bit. It wasn't long before the kid got bored and wanted to get down and run around again, so Darry sent him off with a warning not to pick up the ball again. The oldest Curtis did his homework while the youngest played until eventually the kid fell asleep on the couch before their parents got home. </p>
<hr/><p>"So, did either of y'all end up getting whupped?" Dally asked when Darry concluded his story.  </p><p>"Nah, Mom and Dad were more concerned about him almost getting cut than the picture frame itself. I didn't exactly mention how it got broken. That was between Pony and me. Mom said he deserved the two little smacks I gave him, and I think she might've given him another if he wasn't already out cold. She gave me permission to bust some butt if these brats needed it."</p><p>"Little did she know, she was setting you up to rule with an iron first."</p><p>"You wanna see iron fist?" Darry asked, grabbing Two-Bit's arm and giving him three playful punches. </p><p>"Nah, Darry was a big softy back then," Soda said, "It wasn't until Mom started that new job and Darry was in charge after school that he became a real hard ass. That was the first time he got me for real."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1962</em>
</p><p>Thirteen year old Sodapop knew he was pushing his brother's patience. It had been two weeks since their mom started her new job. Now, both their parents didn't get home till after five, meaning Darry was in charge from when they got home from school till then. The first week was fun. They'd watched TV before homework, ate junk food, and did all the things their mom didn't usually let them do. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. That weekend, their mom gave them a good lecture on doing their chores and homework before playing and tasked Darry with making it happen.</p><p>Darry took his responsibility seriously, making sure Ponyboy and Sodapop did what they were supposed to. He even put their mom's rules about junk food before dinner back in place. When the rest of the gang would come over, Darry would tell them what to do too! Soda thought his big brother's rules were stupid and pointless.  It's not like Darry could enforce them anyway. So far this week Darry had sent Ponyboy to the corner once, but hadn't done anything but nag Sodapop when he wasn't doing as he was told. Darry had popped him plenty of times before, but that was in the past. Soda was thirteen and clearly too old to get spanked by his big brother!</p><p>"Sodapop Curtis, sit down and do your homework," Darry ordered for the third time, looking up from his own homework. </p><p>"C'mon Dar! Why don't Steve and Two-Bit have to do their homework?" Soda complained, his two friends sending him murderous looks. </p><p>"Good point. Steve, Two-Bit, do your homework."</p><p>"You're not in charge of us!" Two-Bit argued.</p><p>"I'm in charge of anyone in this house when our folks aren't home," Darry said, "Homework or leave."</p><p>"See ya," Two-Bit said, heading right out the front door with no hesitation. Of course. </p><p>"Thanks a lot," Steve said, rolling his eyes but grabbing his books and joining Pony at the table. Soda had noticed that Steve was a little wary of Darry after the shoplifting incident in the supermarket. Not like he was afraid of him or anything, just that he would do what Darry told him to more than he did before. With no one left to mess around with, Soda sulked over to the table. He started on his math, the least bad of all the subjects, but quickly got bored. He decided to start writing notes and passing them to Steve.</p><p>"Soda, you don't gotta pass notes," Darry laughed, "If you wanna tell Steve something, just say it. You're not at school."</p><p>Soda shrugged. It only more fun to pass notes if he getting away with something. He tried to get back to his boring homework but couldn't.</p><p>"Darrrrr," Soda whined, "Can you help me with these problems?" </p><p>"Sure, little buddy," Darry smiled. Soda felt a little bad about that. He hadn't even really tried to do his homework before asking Darry to help him. With Darry's help, he finished his homework thirty minutes later and even got a hair ruffle. Soda pretended to be annoyed but really he liked it.</p><p>Unfortunately, his good mood didn't last long. Soon enough, Soda was bored again. Steve was in A classes and had more homework than Soda so he and Darry were still working. Ponyboy had finished his homework practically right after school, but was still sitting at the table reading a book, pretending that he was one of the big kids. When Sodapop started jumping around the kitchen, Darry told him he could read a book or draw or something if he wanted to be in there with them, but otherwise he should scram. But what was a bored thirteen year old to do other than annoy his brothers?</p><p>"Sodapop, please cut it out," Darry said when Soda had taken to laying on the couch and sighing loudly for attention, "I know you're bored but after me and Stevie finish, we'll go outside and throw the football around, okay?"</p><p>Soda rolled his eyes stopped the sighing. He started trying to play solitaire, but he couldn't remember how to set up the cards. "Darrrr, can you set up solitaire for me?"</p><p>"In a minute. Please just let me get this done, little buddy," Darry said, starting to sound frustrated. Well, Soda was frustrated too. He took one of the cards and flicked it at the back of Darry's head. And then another. And another. </p><p>"Stop. Now." Darry said, turning around to look at Soda, who didn't heed the warning in his tone. The game was on now. He flicked another card at Darry's head. </p><p>"Sodapop Patrick, I swear to God, I'll skin you if you do it again," Darry said, narrowing his eyes at the kid. Soda was pretty sure he was bluffing. A swat was one thing but a whole spanking? Darry was definitely not allowed to spank him. Soda was sure of it! With that settled in his mind, he flicked one last card at the back of Darry's head.</p><p>The look in Darry's eye when he whipped his head around chilled Soda to the bone. He stood frozen for a second, not sure what to do next. It wasn't until Darry grabbed a wooden spoon and starting advancing toward him that Soda took off running. Too bad that even in the football off-season, Darry was in good shape. He caught up to Soda in seconds, clamping down on his arm and tugging him closer.</p><p>"Stop being a little brat," Darry scolded, tucking Soda under him under his arm smacking his butt with the spoon. </p><p>"You can't skin me!" Soda argued, knowing it was probably pointless. Darry was big and strong and could whomp on him as long as he felt like it. </p><p>"Yes I can," Darry said, "Mom and Dad gave me permission to hand out a whuppin' if y'all aren't acting right," Darry said. Soda kicked back at him in annoyance, but missed. Darry, in response, yanked Soda's sweatpants down to the knees. They were Darry's old ones, like most of Soda's clothes, so they were pretty loose. </p><p>"Ow, okay, I'm sorry!" Soda yelped as Darry brought the spoon down on the seat of his briefs. It stung a lot more without the layer of padding that the sweatpants provided. </p><p>"Good," Darry said and Soda felt a series of rapid fire smacks on his butt. The whole ordeal had only taken about a minute by the time Darry let Soda up. </p><p>"That hurt!" Soda said, yanking his pants back, "I'm telling Dad!"</p><p>"Go ahead and do that," Darry threatened, "I told you I'm allowed spank your butt if you're really asking for it. And you were really <em>really</em> asking for it. I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to spank you again for not minding me. "</p><p>Soda thought about that for a second. His parents probably wouldn't have been happy about the way he'd been acting that afternoon. His mom certainly wouldn't have given him so many warnings if she was home like she used to be. Well, he never would have thrown cards at his mom's head either. </p><p>"You think we can keep this between us?" Soda asked reluctantly. He didn't know if Darry would do him any favors after the way he'd behaved. "I'll listen you from now on. Promise!"</p><p>"Yeah, little buddy, I think that can be arranged," Darry said, with a smile, pulling his little brother in for a one armed hug, "Just make sure Ponyboy gets the memo."</p>
<hr/><p>"Hey, I've never been a snitch!" Ponyboy complained.</p><p>"No, you haven't," Soda laughed, "But there were times that you opened your big mouth when you didn't realize we were keeping something from Mom and Dad."</p><p>"Like when I had a girl over without Mom and Dad home and you told them all about how she taught you to play Crazy 8s," Darry said, "Dad whupped my ass raw for that one."</p><p>"Oh, yeah, sorry," Pony said, blushing a little at that. </p><p>"Hey, you always seemed fine tattling on me!" Steve humphed, "The first time I got my ass handed to me by Darry was because of you."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1963</em>
</p><p>"Hey, hey, you're fine," fourteen year old Steve whispered to the now crying eleven year old, "You can hit me back, alright? Just don't tell Dar." </p><p>"What's happened?" Darry sighed, coming into the room with Sodapop in tow. </p><p>"He pushed me!" Ponyboy complained, sitting on the ground and holding his head. He wasn't wrong. Pony had been annoying him, so he'd given him a good shove. He hadn't expected Ponyboy to trip and smack his head against the wall. Usually, Mr. Curtis would whomp him for something like that, but he and Mrs. Curtis were out of town for the weekend for a cousin's wedding and eighteen year old Darry was left in charge. </p><p>"Soda, take Pony into the kitchen and get him some ice, would'ya?"</p><p>"Yeah, c'mon, honey," Soda said, ushering a sniffling Ponyboy out of the room.</p><p>"I'll help," Steve tried.</p><p>"I think you've done enough," Darry scolded.</p><p>"Yessir," Steve said automatically. Darry looked so much like his father at that moment that Steve almost forgot he wasn't talking to Mr. Curtis. </p><p>"Lemme ask you something. Are you Ponyboy's big brother or not?" Darry said, looking down at Steve.</p><p>"Huh?" Steve asked, not understanding the question.</p><p>"You've got a choice to make here. Either you're his big brother, meaning I'm yours, and I spank your butt for picking on <em>our</em> kid brother, or you're not, and I take you outside and beat the tar out you for hurting <em>my </em>kid brother. So, which is it gonna be?"</p><p>Oh shit. Darry was huge and could easily deliver a good beating if he were to take that option. Steve really didn't wanna get pummeled, even though he knew the spanking wouldn't be a walk in the park either.  "Uh, I guess I'm his big brother." </p><p>"Okay, then you better go apologize to your kid brother." Steve nodded, heading toward the kitchen. He did feel bad. He hadn't meant to push him that hard.</p><p>"Hey kid, I'm sorry for pushing you," Steve said, "I didn't think you would hit your head. Darry's...uh... Darry's gonna spank me for it."</p><p>"Good, I hope he spanks you hard!" Pony replied, sticking his tongue out at Steve. </p><p>"Pony!" Darry scolded, "That's not how Mom and Dad taught you to respond to an apology."</p><p>"But Dar, my head hurts!" Pony complained.</p><p>"Alright, fine," Darry sighed, "But after Steve gets his butt whupped, there's gonna be no more hard feelings. Understood?"</p><p>"Yessir," Pony said softly. Steve was relieved. He would be doubly guilty if Ponyboy got himself in trouble over not accepting his apology.</p><p>Soon enough, Steve found himself over Darry's knee being lectured on the responsibility of taking care of kid brothers while the older boy spanked his butt. In hindsight, it hadn't been all that bad. Darry hadn't mastered his technique yet and was a little clumsy with it. He didn't even make him drop his pants! Still, Darry was strong and Steve had been plenty sorry by the time when it was over. The novelty of going over Darry's knee, and not Mr. Curtis', was what made it a memorable punishment. </p>
<hr/><p>"You let him keep his jeans up? Why don't you do that anymore?" Ponyboy complained in a half whine. </p><p>"Rookie mistake," Darry said, "Now y'all have given me plenty of practice."</p><p>"Yeah, you got better at it by smacking me and Steve just about every single day," Soda laughed, "You definitely mastered that snapping thing you do 'cause of us."</p><p>"I feel like I'm still smacking y'all every day," Darry griped, "And as much as y'all like to whine about it, you're not very good at avoiding it."</p><p>"Yeah, I used to think Darry's palm was made of steel or something, the way y'all always whined about getting popped," Johnny said. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1963</em>
</p><p>Johnny had always had a healthy respect for Darry Curtis. Not a fear exactly, but definitely respect. Everybody listened to Darry, even people older than him. He just had that way about him. His kid brothers certainly listened to him, or at least they knew what would happen if they didn't. Darry was not shy about smacking the butt of anyone who misbehaved on his watch. Thirteen year old Johnny so far had never felt Darry's palm meet his backside and he intended to keep it that way.</p><p>Johnny and Ponyboy had been put in time out together a few times when they were real small, but other than that, Johnny had never even gotten more than a warning from Mr. or Mrs. Curtis. He'd heard the other boys howling when Mr. Curtis spanked them and he'd always resolved to be on his best behavior. When they or Darry told the boys to stop doing something, Johnny would obey, even if he was the only one. He knew what happened at his house if you didn't listen. The skittishness from getting hollered at and smacked around all the time made Johnny flinch at any stern word, even if it wasn't directed at him. And with a bunch of wild teen and preteen boys that were always around the Curtis house, it felt like someone was always getting scolded for doing something reckless.</p><p>"If I gotta come in there one more time, there's gonna be some butts blistered," Darry threatened from the kitchen, as Johnny, Steve, and Soda were whacking each other with pillows. Johnny froze mid swing, but Soda and Steve both rolled their eyes and continued messing around. For whatever reason, Johnny was just not in the mood to obey. Steve and Soda weren't listening, why should he? With that in mind, Johnny jumped back into the action, whacking Soda upside the head with a throw pillow. They didn't notice that Darry came back into the room until he wrenched the pillow out of Steve's hand and threw it to the side.  </p><p>"I told y'all three times already to knock it off with the roughhousing," Darry said sternly, "Y'all know what happens when you don't listen."</p><p>Johnny started felt his heart race as he waited for Darry to reach for his belt. They hadn't just ignored one warning; they'd ignored three! Darry had threatened to blister their butts and now he was gonna make good on his threat. </p><p>"Johnny I've never popped you before, so I'll leave it up to you. You can get the same as Soda and Steve get or you can wait for my Dad and you and him will talk," Darry said firmly, before softening his voice a little, "I won't be mad at you if you choose to wait though, okay?</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny said, "I'll take what you give me."</p><p>"Okay," Darry said, sounding a little hesitant now that Johnny had agreed. Johnny felt himself being pulled under Darry's arm and smacked three times on the seat of his jeans before being let up. He looked at Darry, puzzled at what had just happened. </p><p>"That was it?" Johnny asked. He'd expected a whipping. Darry was strong and Johnny's butt smarted a little, but that was all.</p><p>"Yeah," Darry said, "What'd you think was gonna happen?"</p><p>"Well, you said you were gonna blister us," Johnny shrugged.</p><p>"Aw, Johnnycake, you know Darry," Soda laughed, "His bark is way worse than his bite. One time he told me if I didn't stop poking Ponyboy, he'd snap my finger right off. Look at me, all ten fingers intact."</p><p>"Getting a couple of smacks is just to get you to stop doing whatever it is you were doing after warnings didn't work. And if you get popped and still keep doing it, that's when you get a spanking," Darry said, "Lord knows, these two never seem to listen until I smack their backsides."</p><p>"Oh, sorry," Johnny said, feeling a little silly that he thought Darry was gonna whip him. He'd never seen Darry take his belt off before, but he'd just assumed that was what happened when Mr. Curtis, or less frequently, Darry, took one of the older boys into the bedroom to get their butt beat. </p><p>"You don't gotta be sorry for jumping to the wrong conclusions, kiddo," Darry said warmly, pulling him into a hug, "I shoulda explained to you better what was gonna happen before I did it. That's my fault."</p><p>Johnny nodded, still holding on to Darry. It was weird. His father never hugged him after he clobbered him. All Darry had done was smack his butt a few times and now here he was comforting him. </p><p>"Why don't you let me deal with your troublemaking brothers now and then I'll help you with that book report, alright?" Darry said, letting Johnny go.</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny replied, with a little smile. He knew other boys would complain about being made to do homework, but Johnny felt the need to stay close to Darry for some reason. </p><p>"Hey, no need for 'sir' anymore, 'less you're in some kind of trouble I don't know about?" Darry asked with a smirk. </p><p>"No," Johnny said, forcing himself not to tack 'sir' on the end of it. Darry just seemed like such an adult to him that it was natural to say 'yes, sir' and 'no, sir.'</p><p>"Okay, then. Sodapop," Darry said, doing the snap and point gesture that he'd seen Mr. Curtis do when the boys were called to task. Once Soda was in reach, Darry spun him around and gave him the same three smacks he gave Johnny before letting the fourteen year old go. </p><p>"Yeah, yeah, you don't need to snap," Steve said, coming over before Darry had a chance to call his name. Darry pulled him close and popped him three times, just like the two before. Johnny hadn't liked feeling like Darry was upset with him, but he did feel a lot lighter knowing what would happen if he misbehaved for Darry again. He still didn't much wanna find out what a spanking would be like, but acting up just a little bit might be okay. </p>
<hr/><p>"Aww, Darry is a big softy after all," Dally said with a smirk. </p><p>"Yeah, well, Johnny's the only one of y'all whose ass I don't need to constantly whup to keep in line," Darry said, rolling his eyes. </p><p>"You don't need to whup me!" Two-Bit argued, "I'd be good as gold if you never did again."</p><p>"Yeah right! Darry laughed, "You remember what you pulled the first time I had to tan you?"</p><p>"'Course I do," Two-Bit said, pouting, "You beat my ass and then your old man came home and beat my ass again."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>1963</em>
</p><p>This was big. It wasn't just swiping a pack of smokes or something. He'd tried to lift a watch this time.  Now Two-Bit was waiting in the back office at the local department store to be collected by whatever member of the Curtis household the manager happened to reach. He knew his Ma was at work, so he didn't even bother giving them the phone number for his house. </p><p>He didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified when Darry was the one to walk into the store. </p><p>"I'm here to pick up the kid," Darry said gruffly. The manager had explained the situation over the phone. </p><p>"He needs a parent to pick him up," the manager said, "What're you, 20?"</p><p>"22," Darry lied smoothly, looking older than his 18 years, "He's my kid brother. Our folks are at work, but it's my day off."</p><p>"I'm not comfortable just handing him off to his brother. I want assurances that he'll be dealt with."</p><p>"Oh I will, sir," Two-Bit smiled, "Probably won't get dessert all week." He wasn't surprised when Darry hand collided with the side of his head, hard.</p><p>"I'm sorry about him, sir." Darry said, "I promise you he'll be dealt with. And he'll mind his manners if he doesn't want me to start <em>dealing </em>with him right now."</p><p>Two-Bit shut his mouth at that. Even though they'd gotten paddled together only six months prior, Darry had popped him plenty of times for not minding him. He didn't want Darry to make good on his threat and start whupping him right there. </p><p>"Alright, but if it happens again, I'm calling the police. Understood?"</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit said, unable to resist, "I'll be sure not to get caught next time."</p><p>"If you don't shut your mouth right now, I'm gonna spank you right out of the store," Darry said, leaning in to growl in Two-Bit's ear, but speaking loud enough that the manager could hear.  Apparently the manager thought Darry had it well under control because he let them go, despite Two-Bits best efforts to rile the man up.</p><p>Less than a half hour later, they were back in the Curtis house with Two-Bit propped over Darry's raised knee getting his ass handed to him for his 'lack of self preservation.' Afterwards, Darry stuck him in the corner and to wait for Mr. Curtis handle the shoplifting.  And handle it he did.</p>
<hr/><p>"So then Mr. Curtis whipped my ass with his belt, and said if I did it again, it'd be the strap," Two-Bit said, finishing his story, "But Darry had already gone caveman on my ass so the belt hurt plenty, lemme tell you."</p><p>"And yet you still seem to swipe everything you can get your hands on," Steve said, "Maybe Mr. Curtis shoulda strapped you."</p><p>"Hey, I never stole a watch again!" Two-Bit laughed, "I only apply the five finger discount to smaller items."</p><p>"Uh oh, seems like somebody's gonna get his butt warmed again." Dally smirked.</p><p>"Don't think I don't know about the Kools you're always sneaking under your jacket, Winston," Darry said with a glare, "Now hush up 'fore I tell the story of how you felt my belt across your backside the first time."</p><p>"Oh fuck off, Darry," Dally replied, rolling his eyes, causing everyone to stare at him. Although it was said in a teasing tone, Darry's statement was clearly an order and they all knew not to back talk an order. Except Dallas, apparently. </p><p>Darry narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything. Instead, he stood up from his chair and pulled Dally up by the arm, smacking his butt twice before pushing him back down on the couch. Everyone in the room held their breath, knowing the volatility of Dally's temper and how poorly this could end. Darry had whupped Dallas before, but he'd never hauled off and popped him in front of everyone. Dally looked around like he was unsure of how to proceed. Surely, six months ago, he would've already clocked Darry, but Dally had been calming down lately. Whether that was because of Johnny or just the family as a whole, the boys didn't know. </p><p>"I don't know what y'all are staring at," Darry said sternly, "I've smacked all y'all for backtalk or disobedience at one point or another. This ain't nothing special."</p><p>"You saying I ain't special?" Dally quipped with a small smile. There was an audible sigh of relief around the room and the tension dissipated. </p><p>Indeed, it was nothing special. As Darry had explained to Johnny years prior, the boys would never listen to him if he couldn't back it up with a couple of smacks. It's just how things were and it seemed to work for them. No one had expected to see Dally, who still like to pretend he was a tough hood, get his butt popped that day, but there had to be a first time for everything. </p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Soda in Charge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Based on a prompt given by Cindy. I swapped Darry out for Sodapop but I hope you still enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Soda? What're you doing here?" Ponyboy asked, confused that it was him who showed up to the school instead of Darry.</p><p>"Coming to deal with your bad behavior. Now just sit there and shut your mouth," Sodapop replied, scowling at his little brother. Ponyboy shrunk in on himself. He was used to Darry hollering at him, but he had to do something real bad to get in trouble with his middle brother.</p><p>"Sodapop?" Mr Wright said, stepping out of his office, "I thought I'd be seeing your older brother."</p><p>"He couldn't get off work, so I came," Soda said, "I'll be filling Darry in on everything when he gets home."</p><p>"Have him call me to make sure he got the message. Wasn't too long ago that you were in my office after all," Mr. Wright said, staring him down a minute, "Well, come in then, both of you."</p><p>As both Curtis brothers entered the vice principal's office, Pony wondered if he and Soda would've gotten called into the principal's office for getting in trouble together if Soda hadn't dropped out. Maybe if their parents were still around they would have, but Soda was a lot more protective of Ponyboy now. Not that he wasn't protective before, but back then he was protective like a big brother, not a parent.</p><p>"As I'm sure you remember, we take cheating very seriously at this school. Your brother was allowing the students who sat behind him to cheat off his test paper, who would then be copied by the students behind them, and so on. Now, Ponyboy is normally a very good student and never causes us trouble, which is why I'm so shocked to see him here."</p><p>"Yessir, I am too," Soda said, glaring at Ponyboy. Pony forced himself to sit up straight and not cower at his big brother's glare. </p><p>"He'll be suspended for the rest of the day and have after school detention for the rest of this week and all of next week. He'll also receive a zero for this test, same as all the rest who participated. He can talk to his science teacher to see if she's willing to give him any extra credit work to help make up his grade."</p><p>Ponyboy just nodded, uncomfortable that the vice principal was talking about him like he wasn't in the room. </p><p>"I'm inclined to say that's enough punishment without a paddling," Mr. Wright said, "I'm sure your oldest brother will have words with him." Mr. Wright had already told him he wasn't getting paddled, but honestly, Pony would've rather get paddled than have a week and a half of detention. His butt was gonna be plenty sore by the end of the day regardless.</p><p>"You can count on it. I'll be having my own <em>words</em> with him before Darry gets home," Soda assured. Ponyboy felt his stomach drop. Soda had spanked him a few times before, but he really didn't want to get spanked and then handed over to Darry. </p><p>"Well, I'm glad to see you're taking this seriously," Mr. Wright said with a nod.</p><p>"Of course. Darry and I are both taking this very seriously, sir," Soda said, turning to Ponyboy, "Apologize. Now."</p><p>"I already did, Soda."</p><p>"Then do it again," Soda replied through gritted teeth. Pony didn't think he'd ever seen Soda so mad at him. </p><p>"I'm sorry, Mr. Wright. It won't happen again," Ponyboy said sincerely. His big brothers would make sure he was sorry, particularly when he sat down.</p><p>"Glad to hear it," Mr. Wright said, "You can go pick up your assignments for the rest of the day, but no fooling around on the way. Understood?"</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>"Okay, well, you've heard the punishment. You boys may go. Ponyboy, I don't want to see you in my office anytime soon."</p><p>"No, sir," Ponyboy replied as both he and Soda filed out of the vice principal's office.</p><p>"Go get all the stuff you need while I go get Steve's car keys. I already walked here. Don't feel much like walking home."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy replied, studying Soda for a second. When had he turned into Darry all of a sudden?</p><p>"Well, go on," Sodapop said, spinning him around and giving him a swift smack to get him moving. Ponyboy spun around and gaped at Soda. </p><p>"Sodaaaaa, we're in public," Ponyboy complained. It wasn't really all that public. The only person in the office besides them was Mrs. Baker, the older woman who worked at the front desk.</p><p>"Get going before I decide to go with ya," Soda said. Ponyboy didn't know exactly what that meant, but images of Soda dragging him by the ear through the school hallways came to mind.</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, scurrying off before his big brother could get any ideas.</p>
<hr/><p>"Mrs. Baker, can you tell me what class Steve Randle has this period?" Soda asked the woman. </p><p>"Sure, sweetie, just give me a moment," Mrs. Baker said with a smile. Soda remembered he'd always liked her. She'd looked the other way when he turned in obviously fake notes excusing him for being late. "History, Room 302."</p><p>"Thank you," Soda said politely before leaving the office. He walked over to Steve's classroom and waved at him through the door window. He watched impatiently as Steve asked to be excused to use the restroom.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Steve asked, coming out of the classroom.</p><p>"Ponyboy got himself in trouble," Soda replied, "Can I borrow your car? I need to take him home. Two-Bit can drive you over to pick it up."</p><p>"What did the rugrat do now?" Steve asked, fishing his keys out of his pocket and handing them to Soda.</p><p>"Got caught letting the whole class cheat off his test," Soda said, still angry about it.</p><p>"Why you so upset, man? I used to let you cheat off me all the time in junior high, remember?" Steve laughed.</p><p>"That's different! He got himself suspended for the rest of the day and a zero on his test! He needs to do good in school. You and me ain't headed to college, but Ponyboy could if he gets a scholarship."</p><p>"He is a smart little idiot," Steve agreed and Soda rolled his eyes. </p><p>"Yeah, well, he's about to have a smarting backside." </p><p>"Good luck, man," Steve said, "Try not to kill him, alright?"</p><p>"Since when do you stick up for him?" Soda asked.</p><p>"He's a brat, but, y'know, he's our brat."</p><p>"Brat is right," Sodapop muttered, turning from Steve and heading down the hallway. He made his way to the parking lot and got into the driver's seat of Steve's car, waiting for Ponyboy to join him. The drive home was mostly silent. Soda didn't trust himself not to drive them right off the road if he really got going. He didn't even turn on the radio, wanting to let Pony squirm while they made the short drive. As soon as they got home, Soda didn't waste time. He stomped right into the kitchen and grabbed the wooden spoon. </p><p>"Soda, no! We ain't even talked yet!" Ponyboy complained, reaching his hands back to cover his butt.</p><p>"Relax, I'm not using it right now. I just know you behave better when you know how easily I can start spanking your butt," Soda said, knowing he needed to make a firm point right off the bat.  He knew was usually the softer of the two brothers. Darry was a lot more intimidating. Soda was the one Pony would run to to complain about Darry giving him a spanking. Darry was the spanker in their makeshift family and didn't need a spoon in easy reach to remind the boys that their backsides could be smacked right quick. </p><p>"Can't we wait for Darry to get home?" Pony asked, still eyeing the spoon.</p><p>"You'd rather face Darry than me?" Soda asked skeptically.</p><p>"No, but I'm sure he's gonna whup me no matter what you do, and then I'm just gonna end up getting it twice! It's bogus!" </p><p>"You know that Darry won't give you any more than you deserve," Soda scolded, "Now cut the attitude before yourself get into even more trouble."</p><p>"It's not fair!" Ponyboy argued, "Darry spanks everyone, that's whatever, but you only ever spank me! And I'm the youngest so everyone's allowed to whup me. You spank me, Two-Bit's spanked me, even Steve has popped me before. I bet Johnny's even allowed to spank me if he wanted to!"</p><p>"I highly doubt that Johnnykid would ever try to beat your behind. Plus, I have it on good authority that you actually asked Two-Bit to spank you the first time he did."</p><p>"That's not the freakin' point!" Pony muttered, rolling his eyes.</p><p>"Alright, I think you need to go stand in the corner a minute till you can figure out how to lose that attitude," Soda said, unbelieving that the kid was giving this much lip when he was already in so much trouble.</p><p>"Sodaaaaaa!"</p><p>"Ponyboy Michael, do I need to count to three?"</p><p>"Go ahead, Sodapop Patrick," Pony shot back. Soda had to clench his fist to keep from smacking the kid right there. He couldn't believe the mouth on the kid.</p><p>"One."</p><p>Ponyboy remained in his spot on the couch, crossing his arms and staring his brother down. Soda couldn't believe that the kid was just complaining about potentially getting two whuppings, but now he was just asking for another. </p><p>"Two."</p><p>Soda narrowed his eyes at his little brother, who finally had the sense enough to look nervous, but was still not doing what he was told. </p><p>"And three," Soda said, pulling Ponyboy up by the arm. Ponyboy tried to wriggle out his grasp but Soda was stronger. Holding Pony with one hand, Soda used his other to unbutton the kid's jeans and tug them down. Before long, he had Ponyboy over his upraised knee, ready to be spanked on his brief covered behind. </p><p>"Wait, Soda! I'm sorry!" Ponyboy said, "You don't gotta spank me!"</p><p>"Oh no, I already gave you plenty of warnings. You're getting this spanking for not minding me before we even have a chance to talk about you getting into trouble at school."</p><p>Soda grabbed the spoon off the coffee table and started bringing it down on his kid brother's backside. He purposely kept the smacks light and stingy, not wanting to wear the kid out before they addressed the real reason they were here. </p><p>"You want everybody to stop spanking your little butt all the time? Stop giving us a reason to!" Soda scolded after a minute of light smacks. </p><p>"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" </p><p>"You gonna act right if I let you up?" Soda asked sternly, still bringing the spoon down. </p><p>"Yessir!" Ponyboy whined.</p><p>"Corner, ten minutes. Then we'll talk," Soda said, letting his kid brother up, "You might as well leave your jeans off since they're coming back down soon enough." </p><p>Ponyboy sent him a pout but otherwise kicked his jeans off and tossed them to the side. He was sniffling a bit, but Soda knew they were tears of frustration more than anything else. Usually, Soda would want nothing more than to scoop the kid up and tell him everything would be alright, but he wasn't quite at that point yet. Pony had a lot more to answer for before Soda could start comforting him.</p><p>Soda watched as Pony, thankfully, stood still in the corner. He didn't know if he could really handle any more defiance from his kid brother. Thinking on it, he regretted the times he ever pulled this shit on Darry. Being the big brother was hard!</p>
<hr/><p>"Alright, c'mere," Soda said, calling Ponyboy out of the corner. Pony really didn't want Soda to spank him again before they even talked about school, so he quickly obeyed.  As he sat down on the couch, he couldn't quite keep his eyes off the wooden spoon.</p><p>"I wouldn't worry about the spoon too much yet, kiddo. I haven't decided if I'm gonna use that or the paddle," Soda said sternly and Ponyboy winced. Soda had never used more than the spoon on him. Ponyboy was the Curtis brother that was least familiar with the paddle. Being the youngest, he'd only felt it once before it mysteriously vanished. After it was found, Darry had used it on him once, but as the end of a spanking, not the whole thing. Pony was pretty sure that he didn't get whupped as hard as his big brothers did, being the baby. He got himself spanked plenty but hadn't yet felt Darry's belt. The downside was, as he said before, pretty much anybody could wallop him if he acted up. </p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy responded.</p><p>"You wanna tell me what all that back talk was about?" </p><p>"I dunno," Ponyboy shrugged, knowing that answer would never fly with Darry, but hoping maybe Soda would let it slide. </p><p>"Try that again," Soda said sternly. Ponyboy sighed. Apparently Soda wasn't going to drop the subject.</p><p>"I'm just not used to you being so upset with me and it made me feel all icky and mad," Pony complained, "And it blows being the youngest. Everyone's allowed to tell me what to do and pop me if I don't do it. And I guess Johnny's gotta listen to everybody too, but he's so good and almost never gets into trouble. So then it's just me that's catching it from everyone."</p><p>"Ponyboy, lemme ask you this. Have you ever gotten a smack or a spanking that you didn't deserve?" </p><p>Pony thought about it for a second. He wanted to complain that he was swatted unfairly, but he couldn't. Even Steve only popped him when he'd really earned it. </p><p>"No, I guess not," Ponyboy mumbled, feeling his ears get hot.</p><p>"Listen, I know it must be tough being the youngest. You definitely get nagged and told what to do more often than anyone else," Soda said, "But you know what? You got six older brothers looking out for you and making sure you don't do stupid shit. Me and Steve and Dally and Two-Bit don't always have someone around telling to stop when we get dumb ideas in our heads.  And that's how we get ourselves into major trouble and end up getting whupped with the belt. I dunno about you, kiddo, but I'd rather have a bunch of big brothers looking out for me and giving me a swat from time to time than do something stupid and get whipped for it."</p><p>"Well, maybe I just wouldn't do stupid stuff, even if I didn't get swatted all the time!"</p><p>"Yeah right," Soda snorted, "Remember when Two-Bit grabbed you before you made it down to the river with Shepard's men? Who knows what would've happened down there. And, if you came back in one piece, I have no doubt Darry would've worn his belt out on your behind."</p><p>"Yeah, I guess."</p><p>"And we haven't even talked about today's misbehavior. Just because I'm not Darry doesn't mean I can't tan your behind for doing something so stupid."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy sighed. Soda was determined and there was no way out of this now. </p><p>"So, now that we're on the same page, why in the hell would you let the whole class cheat off of you?"</p><p>"I don't think the <em>whole</em> class--," Ponyboy started to argue, but trailed off after a glare from Soda. "I guess I just wanted to seem tuff."</p><p>"Do you think colleges are gonna care whether or not you looked tuff in front of your classmates? Or are they gonna be concerned about your grades and your permanent record?"</p><p>Pony studied his feet, thinking the question was rhetorical. He was obviously wrong as Soda smacked the top of his leg.</p><p>"Oww, Soda!" Ponyboy complained.</p><p>"Answer the question."</p><p>"They're gonna care about my grades and stuff," Ponyboy mumbled. </p><p>"I know Darry's always on you about working hard so you can get a scholarship, but he's right! You got brains in that head, you just don't always use 'em."</p><p>Soda continued to lecture an increasingly antsy Ponyboy. If he was gonna get a spanking--which he was--he wanted to get it over with. He will still afraid that Darry was just gonna come home and warm his butt again, but Soda had made such a big deal about him only getting what he deserved, not more. Ponyboy didn't think he deserved another spanking just because Soda was the one to pick him up and not Darry. At the very least, Darry was going to give him a good long lecture, probably longer than Soda's, which still seemed to stretch on forever. </p><p>"Put this back and go get me the paddle," Soda said, concluding his lecture and handing Pony the spoon. Ponyboy felt his stomach drop. So it was the paddle. His first instinct was to protest and try to wheedle his way out of it, but the look on Soda's face clearly said he'd had enough. Ponyboy slowly made his way over to the kitchen junk drawer where Darry kept the hated thing. His butt tingled at the thought of getting a spanked with it. He hoped Soda would do like Darry and use his hand and then only give him a few with the paddle. </p><p>Pony was still without pants, so he handed Soda the paddle and climbed over right over his big brother's lap. Soda wasn't as broad as Darry, so Ponyboy didn't feel quite so small going over his knee. </p><p>"You ready, kiddo?" Soda asked.</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy replied, knowing he was as ready as he'd ever be. He wanted to spend the least time possible over Soda's lap. As soon as he said it, he felt Soda give him the first stinging smack with his hand. Soda didn't spank as hard as Darry, but that sure didn't mean the smacks didn't hurt. Soda talked fast, drove fast, and spanked fast. The sting quickly built up with the rapid smacks coming down. Pony's only saving grace was that he still had his underwear on, but he knew that wouldn't last forever.</p><p>"Ouch," Pony couldn't help but say when one smack landed on his leg. Unlike with Darry, Ponyboy could never tell where Soda's hand was gonna land next. It was unnerving. </p><p>"Yeah, that's right, ouch," Soda scolded, continuing to spank, "You're gonna be saying a lot more ouches before we're through. I'd rather you have a mighty sore butt than get kicked out of school."</p><p>Pony almost wanted to remind Soda that he'd said all that already during his earlier lecture, but wisely kept his mouth shut. He didn't Soda to pick up the paddle any sooner than he had to. Soda kept spanking Pony until he was whimpering a little bit, but not full out crying, before stopping and pulling the kid's briefs down. When Soda's hand resumed falling on his now bare backside, Pony really started to howl. The tears came soon after. Then the begging.</p><p>"Ow, please, Soda, I'll never do it again," Ponyboy cried.</p><p>"Glad to hear it," Soda replied curtly, "Now just settle down because we still got some more spanking to go and then the paddle to finish up."</p><p>"Please don't paddle me," Ponyboy whined, turning his head around to look at Soda. He knew that wouldn't work with Darry, but it was worth a shot with Sodapop. </p><p>"Don't even try me, little man," Soda scolded, "If you wanna be sneaky and screw around at school, you better damn well be ready to accept the consequences."</p><p>"Yessir! Sorry!" Pony bawled, dropping his head back down.  Soda must have heard the desperation in his brother's voice because he stopped spanking about 30 seconds later. </p><p>"Breathe, honey," Soda said, rubbing Pony's back a little. Ponyboy nodded and tried to gulp in some air.</p><p>"You ready for the paddle?" Soda asked after Pony's breathing got back to normal. Ponyboy only responded with a wordless whine. Soda tapped his butt with the paddle. "Hey, none of that. You earned this fair and square and you know it. If I don't paddle your behind, Darry will for sure."</p><p>Pony couldn't do more than nod his head in acceptance. Darry would probably demand a "yes, sir," but Soda didn't. As soon as Pony felt the paddle crack down on his butt, he let out a loud wail that he knew would break Soda's heart. He just couldn't help it. Soda faltered for a second before apparently hardened himself and popping the paddle down again. As with the hand spanking, Pony soon lost count of the pops he got. All he knew was that he was one sore and sorry kid. </p><p>"Alright, kid, we're almost done but I wanna hear you talk. Why are you getting paddled right now?" Soda asked, resting the paddle on Pony's backside. Pony thought it was completely unfair that Soda would expect him to form coherent thoughts at a time like this.</p><p>"Was messing around in school. Letting people cheat off me," Pony managed to choke out.</p><p>"Yep," Soda said, smacking him twice with the paddle, "And why is it important to behave in school?"</p><p>"Because I gotta get good grades and get a scholarship and go to college," Pony said, crying out as Soda whacked his butt three more times.</p><p>"That's right. You got the brains in your head that I wish I had. You've got a shot to make something of yourself. You ain't gonna squander that on my watch," Soda said sternly. Pony just laid there and cried as Soda brought the paddle down on the lower part of his butt and the top of his thighs. He was pretty damn worn out by the time Soda finally stopped.</p><p>Soda didn't wait till he'd caught his breath like Darry usually did. As soon as the spanking was done, Soda pulled Pony up so that he was sitting in his big brother's lap. It was disorienting to Ponyboy and he had to grab hold of Soda's shoulder until the room stopped spinning.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I shouldn't've yanked you up that fast," Soda said, squeezing him tight. Once he didn't feel quite so dizzy, Pony laid his head against Soda's shoulder and continued to cry. Soda rocked him back and forth slowly, just like his mom did when he was little.  </p><p>"I'm sorry, Soda," Pony sniffled, content to enjoy his brother's comfort for as long as possible.</p><p>"I know, bud," Soda replied, "Just don't do it again, huh?"</p><p>"No siree, not knowing how you wield that paddle," Ponyboy said, trying to lighten the mood.</p><p>"Do it again and it won't be the paddle you have to worry about," Soda said sternly. Ponyboy didn't even wanna think about what would happen if he did this again.</p><p>"When did you switch places with Darry all of a sudden?" Pony grumbled.</p><p>"Oh kiddo, you're lucky I was the one to pick you up and not Superman," Soda said, shaking his head. Pony didn't feel all that lucky with his backside still throbbing, but he'd take Soda's word for it. </p>
<hr/><p>"What happened?" Darry asked, walking into the house and seeing Ponyboy laying on his stomach in his underwear, his head in Soda's lap. Pony sent Soda a nervous look as soon as he heard Darry's voice. Two-Bit and Steve, who had shown up earlier that afternoon to retrieve Steve's car keys, sent Ponyboy sympathetic looks.</p><p>"Let's go talk," Soda said, sliding out from underneath Pony's head. The middle brother knew that Darry might lose his cool, and it would be better if he wasn't in the same room as Ponyboy when that happened. Darry nodded and the two went into Darry's bedroom, shutting the door behind them.</p><p>Soda quickly filled Darry in on the events of that afternoon, including the part that Darry was supposed to call Mr. Wright to let him know he got the message. The middle Curtis watched his older brother get more and more frustrated as the story went on. From the way Darry rubbed his palm, Soda knew his brother was just itching to go out there and whup Ponyboy some more. </p><p>"I already licked him good, Dar," Soda cautioned, hoping his brother wouldn't flip his lid on their already well punished brother.</p><p>"I'll be the judge of that," Darry said, opening the door, "Ponyboy, get in here."</p><p>Soda watched as Ponyboy hesitantly made it over to Darry's bedroom, instinctively covering his butt as he went. Once Pony was close enough, Darry took him by the arm and yanked him into the room, before firmly shutting the door. Pony yelped as Darry spun him around and grabbed for the waistband of his underwear. Soda breathed a sigh of relief when Darry, instead of pulling Pony's underwear down, just pulled the waistband away so he could check the color of the kid's butt before letting him go. </p><p>"Looks like Soda already gave you a good spanking," Darry said, crossing his arms, "I imagine you'll be feeling it in detention tomorrow."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, looking at Darry nervously.</p><p>"You're pretty lucky Soda got to you first. I just might have taken my belt to your behind if you'd back sassed me like you did him." Soda felt a sort of grim satisfaction at his earlier words coming true. Ponyboy had again avoided the belt by Soda spanking him. The kid surely wouldn't complain it was unfair after this.</p><p>"Yessir. I'm sorry." </p><p>"I bet you are," Darry said firmly, "Messing around in school is no joke."</p><p>"No, sir," Pony said. Soda was relieved that Pony was minding his manners. Neither of them wanted a round three. </p><p>"You're gonna write an apology letter to your science teacher for cheating and one to Sodapop here for giving him lip."</p><p>"Dar, I don't think that one is necessary," Soda started to complain, but Darry held up a hand to silence him. </p><p>"I'm gonna be nice and let you do the one for Soda while you're in detention since you're gonna have to be sitting there anyway, but I want you to write the one to your teacher tonight so you can give it to her tomorrow."</p><p>"Yessir," Pony replied.</p><p>"And you're gonna be spending the rest of the night in your room thinking about how you're gonna behave better in the future."</p><p>"No he ain't!" Soda argued, "He's been punished enough. He knows what he did was wrong and he's never gonna do it again. Right, Pone?."</p><p>"No, sir! Never!" Pony said, sending an imploring look toward Darry.</p><p>"One evening in his room isn't gonna kill him," Darry said, "He's lucky I ain't giving him another spanking at bedtime to boot." </p><p>"No way. Darry, you weren't here but I really wore him out good. You know he's sensitive and needs to be sure he's forgiven. If you wanna have him spend tomorrow night in his room, that's fine, but tonight I'm not letting him out of my sight."</p><p>Darry stared him down a moment and Soda fought the urge to look away. It wasn't the first time he'd taken up for Pony and usually Darry would back down. Usually. Soda watched as Darry shifted his gaze toward Ponyboy. Something in their kid brother's face must've made Darry's resolve crack, because he replied with a soft, "Fine." Soda and Pony shared a triumphant look at one another. </p><p>"Soda really did whup you good, huh?" Darry asked, pulling Ponyboy into a one-armed hug.</p><p>"Yessir, he did," Pony replied, "He might be taking over as the mean brother."</p><p>"After I just stood up for you?" Soda said in mock hurt.</p><p>"Don't worry, I'll always be the mean brother," Darry said, but he squeezed Pony tight to his side.</p><p>"That's true, you are the one who's gonna make me stay in my room tomorrow night."</p><p>"Behave tonight and I might be able to forget about that," Darry said with a grin. Soda smiled. He hadn't liked being the 'mean brother' all afternoon, but that was over now that Darry was home. Now he could just be the fun brother and coddle Pony all night long. </p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Petty Theft</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt from Itstheurgetofall. Hope you enjoy!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The damn belt was already out on the table when Curly got home. Fuckin' Tim. Curly ran through his head the things he'd done that Tim would wanna whup on him for. He didn't think Tim knew about the incident at the Dingo or the drag racing. Damnit, if he was gonna his ass whipped, he wanted to at least know what it was for so he could defend himself.</p><p>"Curly," Tim said, not even looking up from the paper. Curly was half sure Tim only read the paper because he wanted to act more like Darry Curtis.</p><p>"Hey, Tim."</p><p>"You wanna explain to me why my wallet's six bucks lighter than it was when I went to bed last night?"</p><p>What the fuck? Why would Curly know that? "Uh, did you lose at pool?" </p><p>"I never lose at pool," Tim said. It was true. Most of the money they had was from Tim hustling pool. "I think somebody swiped it from my wallet and I only know one person dumb enough to do that."</p><p>"It wasn't me!" Curly protested, "I'm stupid, but not that stupid." </p><p>"You're just digging yourself deeper, boy," Tim said, "Just tell me what you needed the money for and I'll decide how hard I'm gonna whip you."</p><p>"I didn't take it!" </p><p>"Oh, so it just magically fucking disappeared?"</p><p>"I don't know what to tell you. It's your wallet, not mine." Curly knew that he wasn't exactly credible. He'd lied to Tim plenty in the past, but for once he wasn't lying.  </p><p>"Enough," Tim said, "Either you fess up now or I give you some incentive to fess up."</p><p>"Incentive?"</p><p>"You sit at this table until you wanna tell me the truth. You get up and I smack you till you sit back down."</p><p>"What if I don't tell you what you wanna hear?" Curly quipped, "You gonna make me sit there still I starve?" It was fucking ridiculous that Tim expected him to confess to something he didn't do.</p><p>"If you don't fess up by midnight, I'll whup you then for lying and we'll try this again tomorrow."</p><p>"Screw you, Tim. I ain't sitting here all night." Curly watched as Tim slowly stood up and grabbed the belt off the table.</p><p>"Alright then," Tim said, doubling over the belt. Curly started to back up, plotting his escape. Damnit, Tim was between him and the front door. He didn't think he'd make it out the back door before Tim grabbed him but it was his only shot. Turning on his heel, Curly bolted through the house out the back. He made it to the small patch of dead grass they called a backyard before Tim had a hold of his collar and was swinging the belt down on his ass.</p><p>"Damnit, not outside!" Curly complained. Nobody would respect him if they saw his big brother beating his ass. Tim didn't even respond, just kept smacking Curly with the belt as he dragged him inside. The belt fell all over Curly's ass and thighs. Tim wasn't hitting as hard as usual, but Curly was pretty sure that was because Tim wanted to save some skin for the major beat down he was planning.</p><p>"Run outside again and I will pull your pants down and whup you right in the yard," Tim threatened, pushing Curly down into the hard chair. The impact stung a little but Curly refused to flinch. </p><p>"Go fuck yourself," Curly said, but didn't try to get up. He knew Tim would just smack him back down. </p><p>"Don't make me pop you in the mouth," Tim threatened, tilting Curly's chin up and forcing eye contact before letting go. Curly huffed and crossed his arm, knowing anything that came out would be rude and he didn't wanna get slapped in the mouth like a little brat.</p><p>Curly sat glaring at Tim and muttering to himself for what felt like hours while Tim continued to read the paper. He tried to think of any way to prove that he didn't take the money but he was coming up short. After a while, Tim got up and started pulling things out to make a sandwich, presumably just to aggravate his brother. Curly glared at him. He was pretty damn hungry but wasn't gonna break over a damn sandwich. No, no matter how hungry he was, he'd sit there and watch Tim eat without letting on that he cared.</p><p>"Eat," Tim said, putting the sandwich in front of Curly, who looked at him in surprise. Tim glared back. "I told you I wasn't gonna starve you." </p><p>"Screw you," Curly replied. He wasn't even sure why, but Tim being nice to him pissed Curly off more than when his brother was whacking him. Curly made eye contact with Tim while he slapped the plate of the table, satisfied when the plate shattered.</p><p>"Are you a fucking toddler?" Tim roared, yanking Curly up to stand.</p><p>Curly braced himself for the belt to come down on his ass. "You treat me like one. I might as well act like one."</p><p>"Oh, you think I treat you think a toddler? Let's try this then," Tim said in a voice that was way too calm for Curly's liking.  Before Curly knew what was happening, he was upended over Tim's knee and Tim was tugging his jeans and briefs down to just below his butt. Curly let out a stream of cusses as Tim started spanking him with his hand. He'd never been spanked over Tim's knee before. It didn't hurt like the belt did, but Tim was strong and the smacks still smarted. And it was humiliating being over Tim's lap with his ass in the air. Curly struggled and cussed Tim out as his big brother spanked him. Once Tim was through, he pulled Curly's clothes back up and hauled him over to the corner.</p><p>"I ain't standing in the goddamn corner," Curly yelled fighting back against Tim. Tim whacked him hard on the ass, harder than he had before and Curly nearly jumped. </p><p>"It's in the corner or over my knee. What's it gonna be, little boy?" Curly stopped fighting and stood where Tim put him. He hated Tim. He really did. Tim moved Curly's head until his nose was touching the corner.  </p>
<hr/><p>Finally, Curly was standing still and in the goddamn corner. Tim was exhausted and he hadn't even whupped the kid yet. He hadn't planned on having a showdown with Curly over this. He'd hoped the kid would fess up, take the whipping, and move on. Of course that was too good to be true. </p><p>Tim was sure that Curly took the money. He wouldn't put it past his mother or stepfather to steal from him, but he didn't think either of them were stealthy enough to sneak into his room and take the money out of his wallet. Angela was slick enough, but she was staying over at a girlfriend's last night. That only left Curly, who'd been home when Tim went to sleep and gone when he woke up, along with six dollars from his wallet. Curly stole the money, but Tim wanted to know why. </p><p>"Feel like talking yet?" Tim asked after Curly had been in the corner for twenty or so minutes. He really hadn't planned to put Curly in the corner, or to put the kid over his knee, but it felt right in the moment. If Curly wanted to be a little brat, Tim would treat him like one.</p><p>"Fuck off," Curly responded, yelping when Tim slapped his ass.</p><p>Tim knew they were in for the long haul. It probably served the kid right to have to stand there until midnight, but it just made Tim feel like too much of a heartless bastard. He wanted Curly to be bored out of his mind and confess, but not hate him forever for being cruel. Sitting down might hurt a little on Curly's already tenderized butt, but it wouldn't hurt as bad as trying to stand still for hours on end. With that in mind, Tim moved away from the kid and grabbed a chair from the table, pushing it toward Curly until it touched the back of the kid's legs. "Sit."</p><p>Curly sat there an impressively long time. Tim knew that Curly hated to be still, but apparently he was more stubborn than he was bored. Tim stuck around the house, checking on Curly every few minutes until midnight. As the clock wind down, Tim steeled himself to whip his kid brother. He didn't want to, but he was sick of the kid lying to him. Every single time Tim caught him doing something, he claimed he hadn't done it.</p><p>"Alright, it's midnight. Ready to confess?" </p><p>"You're an asshole," Curly replied.</p><p>"Fine." Tim pulled Curly up by the ear and dragged him over to the table, forcing him to bend over. "You're getting ten. I'll ask you again in the morning and you'll get another ten if you don't fess up."</p><p>"I fucking hate you," Curly spat.</p><p>Tim ignored him and grabbed the belt. They almost never made it through a whupping without Curly saying he hated him. Tim didn't even bother making Curly pull his pants down, just folded the belt over and brought it down hard on his brother's backside. Curly hissed and raised up on his toes but didn't struggle against Tim's hold. Tim delivered the promised ten licks before letting his brother up. "Go to bed." </p>
<hr/><p>Curly woke up, as he did most mornings, to the sound of yelling. Surprisingly, it wasn't his mother and stepfather screaming at each other. No, he could clearly hear Tim's voice shouting at their Ma. </p><p>"I can't believe you!"</p><p>"It's six fucking bucks. What's the big deal?" their mother yelled back.</p><p>"The big deal is that I whipped Curly for taking it and now I find out it was you!" Oh shit, their Ma had stole the money! Curly's bet was on Angela. </p><p>"Well, nobody asked you to do that."</p><p>"Oh, excuse me for trying to teach him right from wrong," Tim snarled, "Not like you ever gave a shit about any of us." </p><p>Curly heard the sound of a plate shatter and figured his Ma had chucked it at Tim's head. Their mother always did that when she was in a mood. A second later, Tim entered the room, slamming the door behind him.</p><p>"Fuckin' bitch," Tim muttered, plopping down on his bed.</p><p>"You finally believe me now?" Curly said, still lying on his stomach in bed.</p><p>"Yeah," Tim sighed, "Apparently you were telling the truth for once."</p><p>"One hell of an apology," Curly replied, still pissed at his big brother.</p><p>"You're right, kid. I fucked up." Tim looked awfully guilty about it but Curly wasn't quite ready to forgive him yet. If Tim hadn't found out that his mom took it, he'd be whipping Curly again today. </p><p>"You gonna let me out of it the next time you think I need a beating?" Curly asked. </p><p>"Hell no," Tim said, "I'm not letting you loose thinking you can do whatever you want without me kicking your ass. I don't even want to think about what kind of crazy shit you'd pull."</p><p>"So I got stuck in the corner and had my ass whipped for nothing?" Curly grumbled.</p><p>"I'll tell you what. You can confess to something you've <em>already </em>done that you're hiding from me and I won't whup you for it."</p><p>Curly thought about that. Tim had threatened that he wouldn't sit down for a month if he did anything that might get him sent back to the reformatory. He was pretty sure drag racing was one of those things. He might as well confess now and not risk Tim finding out on his own.</p><p>"Fine, I got a ticket for drag racing last week. Paulie lent me the money to pay it off."</p><p>"Alright, fine," Tim said. Curly could tell his brother was holding back from hollering. "I'd say you got off easy then. I would've whupped you a hell of a lot harder for that than I did last night. Did you pay Paulie back?"</p><p>"Not yet."</p><p>"I'll get you the money to pay him back. I'll find something for you to do to pay me back." Tim never let Curly or Angie be in debt to anyone. Said it was bad for business. </p><p>"So that's it? When I fuck up you whale the tar out of me, but when you fuck up, you get off scott-free?" </p><p>"You wanna whip me? " Tim asked, raising an eyebrow. Curly really really did. After all the times Tim had whipped him, Curly thought it would be fun to be on the other end.</p><p>"Yeah."</p>
<hr/><p>Tim never thought he'd see the day that he'd bend over for a whupping again. He'd been whipped by their stepfather before, but that felt like a lifetime ago. Yet, here he was, about to let his kid brother spank his ass with a belt. Curly was right. Tim took it out of the kid's ass when he screwed up. What kind of man would Tim be if he didn't accept the same? That in mind, Tim grabbed the belt off the floor where he'd tossed it the night before and handed it to Curly, watching as the kid's eyes went wide. Curly stood up and took the belt but looked uncertain of what to do next.</p><p>"Should I take my pants off or do you want to wrestle them off me?" Tim quipped, but answered his own question his own question as he dropped his jeans to the floor. As he bent over the bed, Tim wondered if he was making a mistake. Would Curly still respect his authority after this? And god forbid any of the boys find out about this. Well, too late for that now. Tim bent over so that his torso was resting on the bed, the same position he always whipped Curly in. A few seconds later, he felt his underwear being roughly tugged down. Tim flushed at that but figured it was fair. He would've done the same to Curly. </p><p>"Well go on, you little shit. I'm not sitting here bare assed all day," Tim growled when his brother hesitated. He got his wish when the belt came down hard on his ass. </p><p>Curly brought the belt down with little consistency. Tim couldn't predict where the next smack would land or how hard it would be. Curly would hit Tim's legs with a hard strike and then land two milder smacks to Tim's ass. The only thing that was consistent was how fast the belt came down. Curly whipped faster than Tim ever did. Within a minute, Tim was gripping the bed sheets with white knuckles. Another minute and he was stomping his foot on the ground.</p><p>"You gonna whup me again for something I didn't do?" Curly asked, not pausing his hand in the slightest.</p><p>"No," Tim groaned as the belt fell repeatedly on the bottom of his butt where he sat down. He was gonna have to be real careful not to let his boys find out what had happened. The only thing that kept them in line as is was their fear of him. It was hard to instill fear when everyone knew you had a freshly whupped ass.</p><p>"No, what?" Curly asked. Tim turned his head around to glare at the smirking kid. He never made Curly call him 'sir,' even when he was getting a whupping. Curly must've picked it up from Darry Curtis. Tim had seen Curtis' boys saying 'yes, sir' and 'no, sir' when they were getting chewed out.</p><p>"No, sir," Tim ground out, embarrassed to call his kid brother that. Curly was gonna regret it next time Tim was kicking his ass. Tim would insist on only politeness and respect. Served the little punk right. </p><p>The licks Curly laid down were erratic, but thankfully they only landed on Tim's ass and thighs. Tim just hoped that Curly wouldn't take it too far, as he was committed to seeing this through. Curly didn't get to decide when a whipping would end, so Tim thought he shouldn't either. He wanted to be able to walk tomorrow though. </p><p>Tim was biting his lip to keep from yelling out by the time Curly stopped. He figured that it was a little harder than a whipping he'd give Curly, but not by much. Tim imagined that he'd have a few bruises, but other than that he was fine. Tim stood up and eased his underwear back up before turning to Curly, "You get it all out of your system?"</p><p>Curly shrugged. "Wasn't as fun as I thought it was gonna be."</p><p>"Yeah, dipshit, I know," Tim said, rolling his eyes, "I don't like whipping your ass either. I do it to keep you from doing stupid shit."</p><p>"You gonna believe me next time I say I didn't do something?" Curly asked.</p><p>"Honestly, probably not," Tim answered. Curly lied to Tim constantly and he'd get away with everything if Tim took his word for it. "But I'll try to wait till I have actual evidence before whupping you next time."</p><p>Curly glared at him but didn't fight anymore. "You owe me Dairy Queen, asshole."</p><p>"Hey, you whupped me harder than I whupped you! I think you owe <em>me</em> Dairy Queen."</p><p>"I don't got any money," Curly said, "'Less you'd like me to swipe it from your wallet."</p><p>"Don't you dare," Tim said, glaring at his now smirking kid brother, "I'm going back to bed. DQ ain't even open yet and besides, somebody just whipped my ass raw."</p><p>"But you are gonna get it right?" Curly asked, looking more like a little kid than he had all morning.</p><p>"Yes, Curls, I will," Tim sighed, "Now shut the fuck up and let me go to sleep."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Smokin' Backsides</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darry was straightening up the living room, despite it being currently inhabited by two lounging teenagers. The other four were outside doing God knows what. He had picked up the empty beer and coke bottles and potato chip bags around the room and moved to fold up the throw blanket that was haphazardly thrown over the end of the couch. </p><p>"Uh, I'll get that, Dar," Soda said shooting up from the armchair and sending a look toward Steve. Darry was immediately suspicious at the response. In what looked like a choreographed dance, Soda slowly moved the blanket away from the arm of the sofa, while Steve, trying to look casual, leaned his arm over the vacated spot.</p><p>"What are you two hiding?" Darry asked. </p><p>"Hiding? We ain't hiding nothin'," Steve said, shifting his body closer to the arm of the couch. What could they possibly have under there?</p><p>"Then move your arm," Darry said. Steve immediately moved his left arm around, feigning ignorance to what Darry wanted. Darry rolled his eyes. "The other arm."</p><p>"Aw, c'mon, why do you always think we're up to something?" Soda interjected.</p><p>"Because y'all always are," Darry said, "Do I need to count to three?"</p><p>Steve and Soda both looked at each other. It was always a lost cause when Darry started counting. Steve reluctantly moved to show what he was hiding. There, on the arm of the couch was a prominent cigarette burn. Darry rubbed a hand over his face. He wasn't mad but he was pretty damn frustrated. For a while now, he'd been trying to get all of them to cut back on the smoking, and take it outside if they did. It wasn't the first cigarette burn on the furniture, but Darry had warned them on multiple occasions to watch their smokes before they destroyed all the furniture or burned the house down.</p><p>"Which one of y'all did this? Or are you trying to cover for one of the boys?"</p><p>"Nah, it was me," Steve admitted. </p><p>"I've warned y'all about this over and over," Darry sighed. Why didn't his boys ever listen? "Soda, go get the rest of the weed-fiends. Family meeting."</p><p>Soda nodded and went to grab the other four. Steve looked nervous to be left alone to face whatever Darry may have in store for him.  Darry reached down and pulled off one of his sneakers before crooking his finger at Steve, who reluctantly stood up shuffled forward. </p><p>"I know you don't wanna get spanked, but your brothers are not gonna like what I have to say and I think you'll find they won't blame you for it if they know you've got a stinging ass."</p><p>"Yeah, alright," Steve said, bending over and putting his hands on his knees without being asked. Darry was relieved. It was a hell of a lot easier for everyone if his boys accepted the consequences without a fight. Darry held the sneaker by the heel and brought it down smartly on the seat of Steve's jeans. He got two more smacks in before the boys started coming through the door.</p><p>"Woah, what happened here?" Two-Bit asked. Darry ignored him and landed three more smacks on Steve's backside.</p><p>"We're done," Darry said, letting Steve stand up. </p><p>"Oww, Dar! And now you're gonna make me sit through this family meeting?!" Steve complained, rubbing at his backside, ignoring snorts from Pony and Two-Bit.</p><p>"Yep," Darry said, ruffling Steve's carefully combed hair. That earned Darry more of a glare than the brief punishment did. He watched as Steve lowered himself down onto the couch in a way that was more dramatic than Darry thought necessary. Two-Bit and Dally joined Steve on the couch while Soda grabbed the armchair, leaving Ponyboy and Johnny on the floor, as usual.</p><p>As Darry started to put his sneaker back on, he realized he might as well leave it off. They hardly ever made it through a family meeting without someone getting popped and it would save his hand if he got a lot of back talk. After kicking off his other shoe to match, Darry plucked the cigarette out of Two-Bit's mouth and put it out in the coffee can they used as an ash tray. </p><p>"What'd'ya do that for?" Two-Bit complained. </p><p>"There's gonna be no more smoking in the house," Darry said. As expected, the boys all started voicing their protests at once, the loudest coming from Dally, Two-Bit, and Ponyboy. Soda wasn't a big smoker, Steve was on his best behavior after having been smacked, and Johnny was too quiet to really get involved in the yelling.</p><p>Having heard enough of the complaints, Darry put two fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle, causing the boys to immediately settle. </p><p>"Here's how this is gonna go," Darry said firmly, "I'm gonna explain my reasoning and then I'll listen to y'alls complaints. Anyone who wants to interrupt or talk back will find themselves with their nose in the corner."</p><p>"Why do you get to talk first?" Ponyboy complained.</p><p>"Ponyboy Curtis, what did I just say?" Darry said, hauling him up and smacking him once with the sneaker. "God, it seems like it's in one ear and out the other with y'all. I'm talking first so I can actually tell ya the new rules before you get to complain about them. But now you, kiddo, get to hear them from the corner."</p><p>Pony humphed, but made his way into the corner next to the couch. Darry felt vindicated in his choice to leave the sneaker within easy reach.</p><p>"Anyone else have any complaints?" Darry asked, putting the sneaker down. Thankfully, everyone shook their head, "Alright then. Here we go. Two new rules. No smoking in the house and no smoking more than a pack a day. Mom never let y'all smoke inside and I'm bringing that rule back. Plus, I don't want the house smelling like an ashtray next time the social worker comes for a visit. She doesn't know about Pony's habit and I don't want her to know how much smoking goes on around here. Besides, y'all are way too careless with your smokes. I don't want you burning this house down because you fell asleep with a cigarette in your hand. As for the pack a day rule, I know there's no way of me knowing how much you smoked each day, but I'm trusting y'all to obey me on this."</p><p>Darry hoped that acknowledging that he trusted them to follow the rules would work to actually get them to listen. He wished they weren't smoking cancer sticks at all, but he knew that was a lost cause. He was pretty sure his youngest brother loved smokes more than the kid loved him. Well, maybe not <em>more, </em>but close. </p><p>"Alright, now y'all can talk," Darry said, regretting his words as the boys immediately started talking over each other again, "One at a time. Two-Bit, go ahead."</p><p>"What happens in the winter? You gonna make us stand out in the cold?"</p><p>"'Course not," Darry said, earning him a sigh of relief from the boys, "I'm not <em>making </em>you stand outside. You could always choose not to smoke."</p><p>"What about when it's raining or something?" Dally argued. </p><p>"We got a porch," Darry said, rolling his eyes, "What else y'all got?"</p><p>"Everybody smokes indoors," Steve shrugged. </p><p>"If everybody jumped off a bridge, would you?" Darry replied. God, he sounded like his mom. He really wished she was here to deal with this. His mom, like Sodapop, only smoked occasionally, when something really stressed her out.  Their dad, on the other hand, smoked just as much as Pony. </p><p>"What if we promise to be real careful?" Johnny implored. He loved cigarettes almost as much as Pony.</p><p>"Why don't you ask Steve how that goes?" Darry said, eyeing the kid.  </p><p>"It's not fair that we get punished just because Steve messed up," Ponyboy complained from the corner. Darry moved toward him before Two-Bit, who was sitting closest to Pony, stopped him.</p><p>"I got it," Two-Bit said, grabbing the folded newspaper off the side table and giving Pony a smack on the butt. It was clearly a token swat; Two-Bit could've easily grabbed the sneaker, or even used his hand, and gave Pony a real one, but Darry was willing to let it go. </p><p>"It's not a punishment. It's a new rule. Either you smoke outside or not at all."</p><p>"And if we don't?" Dally challenged.</p><p>"Next person I find smoking in here is gonna have a warm backside," Darry said, crossing his arms and daring anyone to challenge him.</p><p>"Don't you mean a smokin' backside?!" Two-Bit said, his laugh contagious, quickly spreading to the rest of the boys. Even Dally cracked a smile. Darry rolled his eyes, knowing he'd lost control of this family meeting, but he'd said all that needed to be said. Now it was just a matter of time till one of them tested him on it. </p><hr/><p>Johnny knew he shouldn't be doing this. It hadn't even been a week since Darry called a family meeting and banned smoking indoors, yet here he was, smoking in the living room. To be fair, it wasn't just him. Dally, Two-Bit and Pony were also smoking right alongside him. It had been Dal handing out the smokes, but none of them had really pushed to move outside. Darry was supposed to be at work for a while and hopefully the smoke would clear before the eldest Curtis returned. Every other time they'd wanted a smoke that week, either Darry or Sodapop had been there to shoo them outside. </p><p>Darry had apparently finished work early, because the trucked pulled into the driveway as they were all smoking away. The boys were all huddled around one coffee can ashtray on the table that Two-Bit had grabbed, not wanting to leave any ashes behind for Darry to find. Johnny kinda thought it wasn't worth the risk, but Dally had complained that it was too windy to smoke on the porch. In hindsight, they probably should've realized that it was also too windy to roof. </p><p>They all quickly put out their cigarettes and Two-Bit moved the coffee can to the side of the couch where Darry couldn't see it. If they were lucky enough to get away with it, they'd have to go back and get the cigarettes later. Four half-smoked weeds were almost as good as two whole ones.  Johnny held his breath as Darry walked through the door, trying to imagine any possible way they could get away with it. </p><p>"Someone wanna explain to me why my living room smells like an ashtray?" Darry said, looking at all of them. The older boy could usually single out which one of the boys was most likely to be responsible for something, but honestly each one of them were heavy smokers and could've done it.</p><p>"We had the door open when we were having a smoke on the porch. Maybe the wind carried some of it inside," Pony lied. Johnny admired the way his buddy could think on his feet. </p><p>"Nice try," Darry said, "It wouldn't smell this strong. I know at least one of y'all was smoking in here, so fess up, who was it?"</p><p>No one immediately confessed so Darry went over to Two-Bit and sniffed his shirt, searching for the culprit. </p><p>"Busted," Darry said, grabbing the coffee can from beside Two-Bit and picking it up. "Four cigarettes. All y'all were smoking in the house? Really?"</p><p>No one answered, which Johnny figured told Darry everything he needed to know.  </p><p>"Stay here," Darry ordered, "I need a minute to think." No one dared talk or move while Darry went into the kitchen. Johnny could hear him pouring himself a drink and sitting down at the table. It always reassured him when Darry would take the time to calm down before punishing them. That was how Johnny knew Darry wasn't hitting them just to make himself feel better. </p><p>"Johnny, c'mere for a sec. I wanna talk to you," Darry called after a moment.</p><p>"Yessir?" Johnny asked nervously, making his way into the kitchen. He wasn't sure why Darry pulled him aside. Darry always punished side by side when they got into trouble together.</p><p>"Look kid,  since I gotta deal with all four of you, I'm planning to bend y'all over and take the spoon to your behinds. It won't be a full spanking, just enough to hopefully give y'all an incentive not to do it again. But if that scares you or reminds you too much of home, I can take you into the bedroom and spank your butt with my hand instead. You just gotta tell me which one." </p><p>Johnny was scared of plenty of things. Socs? Yep. His old man? Sure. Darry being disappointed in him? Absolutely. But scared of a wooden spoon? Heck no. A spanking with Darry's hand and one with the spoon made little difference to him. If it were the belt, it might be different, but his father never hit him with a spoon. He wasn't sure his parents even owned one. Not like anybody did much cooking in his house.</p><p>"Dar, my old man once whipped me with a two-by-four. I ain't afraid of a wooden spoon," Johnny assured him, "I just don't like you being upset with me is all. I get enough of people being mad at me at home."</p><p>"I ain't really that upset," Darry tried to reassure the kid, "But y'all disobeyed me and I can't just let that slide."</p><p>"Yessir, I understand," Johnny said, hesitating a second before asking, "Can we, uh, just get it over with?"</p><p>"Sure, kiddo," Darry said, ruffling the boy's hair, before becoming stern again. He stuck his head into the living room to call the other boys. "You three, in here. Now."</p><p>"I ain't gonna bother lecturing y'all. I told you not to smoke inside and you did it anyway. Now you gotta face the consequences. You're all getting a round with spoon, but if this happens again, I will make your backsides as red as the cherry on your cigarette. Understood?"</p><p>"Yeah, man."</p><p>"Yessir."</p><p>"Yes, Dar."</p><p>"Yessir."</p><p>"Good," Darry replied at the affirmative responses from all four of them. Johnny didn't know how Dally and Two-Bit had the guts to not call Darry sir knowing they were about to get punished. Darry pulled a chair away from the kitchen table. "Ponyboy, you're up first. Pull your pants down."</p><p>Johnny didn't know if Pony got picked to go first because he was the youngest or because Darry had already whomped him this way before and he knew what to do. Without much hesitation, Pony let his jeans fall to his ankles and bent over, grabbing the sides of the chair seat from the front. The back of the chair was a little to tall for anyone to bend comfortably over it. </p><p>"Fourteen," Darry said, putting his hand on Pony's back and popping him with the spoon. Johnny wasn't used to watching like this. He'd seen Pony get spanked before plenty of times, but not when he had been involved. For all that the gang treated Pony and Johnny as kids, Pony was still two years younger than Johnny. He should've dragged Pony outside. A glance over toward Two-Bit and Dally showed that they felt the same way. Pony let out a few ows, but from the tone of his voice, Johnny knew they were more just annoyed protests than real cries of pain. As Darry delivered the last four to the tops of Pony's legs, Johnny didn't know if that meant he'd get six to the legs. He hoped not. </p><p>"Alright, kid, get up," Darry said, still with an edge to his voice. Clearly he wasn't comforting anybody till they were all dealt with. Pony shot him a sullen look as he pulled his pants back up and rubbed his backside. Darry ignored him. "Johnny, you're up."</p><p>Johnny came over and copied what Ponyboy had done, dropping his jeans and bending over the chair. This was the first time, other than for a couple pops, that Darry hadn't taken him over his knee. He held the edges of the seat tight as Darry put a comforting hand on his back and said, "Sixteen." </p><p>Johnny was almost relieved when the first smack came down. He knew it wasn't gonna be all that bad, but a small part of him had still worried about it. It really didn't hurt much more than Darry's hand, which stung but wasn't a deep hurt. Still, sixteen swats wasn't a picnic and his butt was definitely sore by the time Darry finished. Twelve landed on the seat of his briefs and the last four landed on his bare legs. Those ones smarted. </p><p>"Stand up," Darry ordered, more gently than he had Ponyboy. Johnny pulled his pants back up as Darry stared at him, probably looking for any signs of distress. "You okay, kiddo?"</p><p>"Yessir, I'm fine," Johnny said. His butt didn't hurt that bad, but he wanted Darry to hug him and reassure him that he wasn't mad anymore. He knew Darry would stop and comfort him if he asked, but Johnny was determined to be tough and wait it out with the others. Ponyboy was just a kid and he wasn't asking Darry to hold him. Johnny could make it a few more minutes. He looked over to his brothers. Pony was pouting and rubbing his butt with and Two-Bit looked even guiltier than before. </p><p>"Good," Darry said, like he was trying to reassure himself more than anything, "Good. Dallas."</p><p>Dally somehow still managed to walk with a swagger, even though he was about to get his ass handed to him. He even looked like he didn't have a care in the world, even as he unbuckled his belt and dropped his jeans. It was hard to look cool when you were bent over with your ass in the air, but Johnny thought that Dally came about as close as possible.</p><p>"Seventeen," Darry said. It always struck Johnny to remember that Dally was only 17. He always seemed to have the confidence of someone much older. Dally didn't even flinch when Darry brought the spoon down on his backside. Darry didn't waste time, bringing the spoon down on Dal's butt. Johnny watch as Dally locked his knees and stood stone still as Darry spanked him. Even thinking the word 'spanking' in relation to Dal seemed odd to Johnny. Darry had whipped Dally before, but that seemed less childish somehow. Johnny knew from Two-Bit and Sodapop that Dally had been put over Darry's knee once, but Johnny had a hard time picturing it. Yet, here he was, ass up in the air just like the rest of them. </p><p>After delivering the same four pops to the legs the younger boys had gotten, Darry stopped and told Dally to stand up. Dally still looked like he was trying to be cool, but he wasn't managing quite as much as before. Still he yanked his pants back up and gave Darry a nod before changing places with Two-Bit. </p><p>After Two-Bit dropped his pants, Darry pulled at the waistband of Two-Bit's underwear around his hip. Johnny knew it was to make sure he only had one pair on. They'd all heard the stories of Two-Bit trying to pad his ass before a spanking. Johnny thought it had to be mostly token at this point. There was no way Two-Bit could've snuck on extra underwear while they were waiting in the living room. The only way he could've had extra on is if he wore them everyday just in case he got his butt paddled. Actually, knowing Two-Bit, that could be possible. Darry might need to check after all.</p><p>"Eighteen," Darry said sternly, even though that was pretty clear to all of them by now. Even though Two-Bit was older than Dal, seeing him get spanked somehow made more sense to Johnny. Two-Bit could probably be 45 and Darry would still be whupping him for doing something stupid. It's just the way he was.  </p><p>"Jesus, hit a little harder, would'ya?" Two-Bit muttered about half way through. </p><p>"You got it," Darry said, and Johnny watched as Darry put some more muscle behind his swats. Two-Bit just never knew when to shut up. The next four smacks lifted him onto his toes. By the time Darry was done, Two-Bit was letting out some genuine noises of pain. </p><p>"Get up," Darry ordered, and Two-Bit sent Darry a wounded look as he hiked his jeans back up. Darry looked at all of them sternly, "No more smoking in the house."</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny, Pony, and Two-Bit replied (although Two-Bit's sounded more sarcastic than anything), and Dally nodded. </p><p>"Alright, forgiven. Now you're each getting a hug and I'm not hearing any lip about it," Darry said, his words contradicting his stern tone. He grabbed Ponyboy first and pulled him in tight, ignoring Pony's mumbled complaints. They'd all seen Pony sitting on Darry's lap after he'd been spanked, but for some reason he tried to act like he didn't want comfort after a mild punishment. </p><p>When Darry let Pony go after a kiss to his hair, he pulled Johnny into a hug. Johnny didn't bother protesting, melting into Darry's hug. He soaked up all the comfort he could. When Darry kissed him on the forehead and let him go, he felt the weight of Darry being disappointed in him finally lift from his shoulders. Dally didn't even protest when Darry hugged him. Darry didn't kiss him on the forehead, but that may have been partly because Dally was just as tall as him. He did hold him for a minute though and smooth down his hair. To Johnny's surprise, Dally didn't even protest. </p><p>"Well, now I really need a smoke," Dally said when released him. He amended his statement when Darry glared at him, adding,  "Outside."</p><p>"That's what I thought," Darry agreed, pulling the last boy into a hug. He too didn't get a kiss on the forehead, instead Darry rubbed his knuckles on Two-Bit's head and messed up his hair.</p><p>Ponyboy, Johnny, and Two-Bit followed Dally out to the porch to have a smoke. Even Darry came out with them, which Johnny appreciated. He couldn't possibly be mad at them if he was choosing to hang out with them. </p><p>Two-Bit immediately stretched out on the bench and kicked his feet up until Darry snapped his fingers and gestured for him to get up. The oldest Curtis sat in the middle and pulled Ponyboy and Johnny down on either side of him, wrapping his arms around both boys. Johnny shifted his weight onto his hip--he got his butt spanked like ten minutes ago after all--which incidentally caused him to snuggle in closer to Darry. Dally handed him a lit cigarette, which Johnny hesitantly took after a sheepish look at Darry. Darry seemed to be okay with it. Johnny would just be sure to keep it outside from now on.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm back to working in person so updates may be a little more infrequent from here on out. But the next chapter is Dally centric and softer than I've ever written him so stay tuned.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Dumb Hood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>For Anonymous who requested to see Dally actually want comfort after getting punished. If you're still reading, I hope it was worth the wait!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Something seemed off with Dally. Darry would admit that he understood Dal less than he did any of the other boys, but he knew him well enough to tell that something was wrong. Dally had been quiet all afternoon, no wise cracks or back sass. Darry planned to pull him aside after dinner and see if he could get the kid to talk.</p><p>Dinner started off pretty uneventfully. All the boys were over, and although Darry had griped about them eating him out of house and home, he was glad to have them all under his roof. They had almost finished eating and Darry only had to use his dad-voice once when Steve came close to flinging his mashed potatoes at Sodapop. One scolding was practically a record low for them.</p><p>"Hand me the salt?" Dally asked Two-Bit during a lull in the conversation.</p><p>"What's the magic word?" Two-Bit replied with a shit-eating grin.</p><p>"Go fuck yourself," Dally muttered, reaching over Two-Bit to get it himself.</p><p>"Darry, did you hear how this dumb hood just talked to me?" Two-Bit gasped with mock horror. Darry thought it was an innocuous enough remark, but apparently Dally didn't think so. Next thing any of them knew, Two-Bit was on the ground, the chair swept out from under him and Dally was standing over him.</p><p>"What'd you call me?" Dally roared, jabbing Two-Bit in the side with his foot.</p><p>"Dallas Winston, go to my room right now," Darry ordered, his voice sharp. </p><p>"Stay out of this, man," Dally said, still towering over Two-Bit, fists clenched.</p><p>"Get in there and cool off. Now," Darry commanded, "I'll be in to have a conversation with you in a minute." </p><p>Dally remained where he was standing so Darry upped the stakes. He unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops, watching as Dally's head snapped toward him at the sound. He knew the other boys were staring at him as well, but he had to focus on getting Dallas under control at that moment. It seemed to work as Dal muttered one last cuss at Two-Bit before storming off in the direction of Darry's bedroom.</p><p>"You alright, kid?" Darry said, extending his hand to help Two-Bit up.</p><p>"If I say I hurt my ass, will that get me out of getting it whupped for a while?" Two-Bit cracked.</p><p>"Glad to see your smart mouth wasn't injured," Darry said, but glad that Two-Bit's joke had lightened the mood in the room, "Anyone know what going on with Dal? Johnny, you got any ideas?" </p><p>"I dunno. He seemed kinda off but, y'know, he gets those moods sometimes."</p><p>"He sure does," Darry said, shaking his head. Knowing he wasn't gonna get any more insights from the boys, he stalked toward his room, belt in hand. He opened the door to see Dally still fuming, pacing back and forth across the room. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?"</p><p>"Two-Bit is an asshole," Dally muttered. </p><p>"Hey now," Darry warned, "You're already in trouble. Don't add to it by calling your brother names. Now, tell me what's going on? Something happen between you two?"</p><p>"No," Dally said, shrugging.</p><p>"C'mon kid, I'm tryna give you a chance to tell your side of the story," Darry tried.</p><p>"I don't got a side of the story," Dally said, "Two-Bit pissed me off so I knocked him on his ass. I do it to Shepard all the time."</p><p>"Okay, but you know full well that I don't tolerate that in this house. We don't settle problems with one another physically."</p><p>"Except when you settle things with your belt," Dally snarled. </p><p>"Cool it," Darry said firmly before guessing again, "Did something happen with between you and Tim?"</p><p>"Damnit, I already said nothing's wrong," Dally argued.</p><p>Darry sighed. "I'm starting to think if I don't just whip you now, you're just gonna earn yourself more trouble."</p><p>"Go 'head. It's better than the third degree."</p><p>"Alright, everything down and palms on the bed," Darry ordered.</p><p>"Not out in the garage?" Dally asked, suspiciously.</p><p>"No, we're gonna get this done here and then we're gonna talk."</p><p>Thankfully, Dally didn't argue. Instead, he dropped his jeans and briefs and bent over the bed. Darry hoped that getting the whupping out of the way would get the kid to relax and talk. Clearly something was bothering him. Darry wished he could just let it go, but he'd warned Dallas about his temper on several occasions. Putting a hand on the kid's back, Dally brought the belt down smartly on Dally's butt. He was surprised when the kid let out a hiss immediately. Usually, Dally would stay silent until he absolutely couldn't anymore. Darry swung the belt down eleven more times, getting more and more concerned with every sound the kid made. After a dozen licks, one right below the other, he was down to Dally's thighs and figured that was enough. He'd usually give more, but there were extenuating circumstances. Darry just didn't know what they were yet. </p><p>"Alright, kid, time to talk," Darry said, patting Dally on the back. Dally pulled his pants and underwear up and turned to face Darry. </p><p>"I don't know what you want from me, man."</p><p>"I want the truth about what's bothering you," Darry said, taking a seat on the bed in front of Dally and trying to take the kid's hands, which were unsurprisingly yanked away.</p><p>"Don't talk to me like I'm a fuckin' kid," Dally said, taking a step back. </p><p>"Watch your tone, young man," Darry said sternly, "I'm still not very pleased with you. I gave you less than what I normally give you because I know you're upset about something. I'm perfectly happy to warm your backside some more if you can't have a civilized conversation with me. "</p><p>"Oh screw you and your civilized conversation. I ain't never been civilized and I'm not about to start now."</p><p>"Okay then," Darry said, standing up and grabbing Dallas by the upper arm. He was surprised again when Dally didn't fight back, just allowed himself to be pulled over Darry's knee. "Lift your hips."</p><p>Clearly, Dally knew what that order meant since he tensed but otherwise stayed still over Darry's lap. Darry smacked him three times. "Lift. Your. Hips."</p><p>Dally muttered a cuss but obeyed this time, moving his hips to allow Darry to unbutton his jeans and pull them down to his knees. </p><p>"I'm gonna leave your underwear up for now, but you keep giving me lip and they're coming down," Darry said. When Dally didn't respond, Darry took that as acceptance. He started slapping the seat of his brother's briefs firmly for about a minute before stopping. His palm had started to sting so he knew the kid's backside must be smarting pretty good, especially after the belt. "That's for talking back when you're in trouble."</p><p>Obviously thinking they were done, Dal tried to push himself off Darry's lap, but his older brother held him in place. "Oh no, you ain't going nowhere just yet. All y'all seem to act better when you're over my knee. Now, you ready to tell me what happened?"</p><p>"Not really--oww!" Dally responded, as Darry slapped his backside. There was a reason he kept Dally over his knee. </p><p>"Try that again."</p><p>"Damnit, fine," Dally muttered, launching into his story. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Earlier that day</em>
</p><p>Dally had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Or, more accurately, the wrong side of the bottle. He had a massive hangover. Dally, Shepard, and Two-Bit had had a fair amount to drink the night before. The boy thought a smoke might help and reached into his jacket pocket to find only one cigarette left in the pack. Knowing it was a chain smoking kind of day, Dally headed over to the nearby drug store to get some more. </p><p>"Can I help you?" the woman at the register asked, eyeing him suspiciously the moment he walked in. </p><p>"Just here to get a coke and some cigarettes," Dally replied. He had a little money in his pocket and was actually planning to pay for them. He knew the way people looked at him as a hood and liked to pay for stuff when he could just to prove them wrong. The woman didn't say any more, but watched him as he grabbed the soda from the icebox and the smokes off the counter.</p><p>"65 cents," the woman said, holding her hand out expectantly. </p><p>"Can you break a hundred?" Dally quipped as he rooted around in his pocket for the change.</p><p>"Young man, either pay for that or get out. I won't have JDs hanging around here scaring away our customers."</p><p>Dally slapped the change down on the counter, ignoring her outstretched hand, and grabbed the cigarettes and sodapop. He had the urge to swipe another pack of Kools just to spite her, but he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of thinking she was right about him. Lighting his cigarette, he stalked off in search of Johnny. At the Cade house, he poked his head in without knocking, knowing that no one would bother answer if he did.</p><p>"Johnnykid, you home?" </p><p>"No of course he's not home," Johnny's mother immediately started shrieking, "He's off running around with one of those other hoodlums. Didn't even come home last night, I swear, he never appreciates anything we do. Just goes out and gets himself into trouble."</p><p>"Aw, stuff it," Dally said, "Johnny's the best behaved kid I know." He usually just ignored Johnny's folks, but sometimes he couldn't help but say something.</p><p>"That's 'cause you're the worst of them all. No good dirty thug. Get out of here before I call the police."</p><p>"Somebody oughta call the police next time your husband is beating on Johnny," Dally muttered, stomping away from the house. He wasn't far from the Curtis house, but he didn't feel much like going over there. With all the talk of him being a hood made him want to stay away. He knew he was the wildest of any of the boys. It sometimes made him want to go and join Shepard's outfit. If he was gonna be like them, he might us well run with them. He stalked off in the direction of downtown to see if he could find Tim and hopefully blow off some steam.  </p><p>At first, he didn't pay no mind to the fancy car that started trailing him. He had reputation and even Socs knew not to fuck with him. Most of that came from when he used to carry around a heater before Darry caught him and whaled the tar out of him. Even though he wasn't carrying one now, it wasn't like he went around announcing that he was unarmed. </p><p>"Aw look at the greaser, too poor to even afford bus fare," one Soc yelled out as they pulled up beside him, "Hey grease, where you walkin' to?" </p><p>"Your Mom's place," Dally shot back, not even bothering to look at them. He purposely kept his pace the same, not wanting to seem like he was running away.</p><p>"At least I have a mom. Looks like you were raised by wolves," the driver responded.</p><p>"Aw lay off him," one of the guys in the back said, "It's not his fault he looks so greasy. He probably doesn't even have running water in the trailer."</p><p>"Nah, he could get money if he wanted it," the Soc in the passenger seat said, "He could just hold up a liquor store like the rest of them hoods." </p><p>Determined to not let them get to him, Dally turned a corner onto a side street. Unfortunately for him, the Socs followed and intentionally drove through a large puddle, splashing him with dirty street water before starting to speed off. Before he could think about what he was doing, he grabbed the biggest rock he could find and heaved it at the car. It missed the back windshield but smacked the trunk, leaving a pretty satisfying dent. He couldn't admire it long unfortunately because the car made a sharp U-turn and started to accelerate toward him. Dally took off running and hopped the nearest fence. He ran right to the place he had been avoiding earlier but knew he'd be safest at: the Curtis house. </p>
<hr/><p>"Jesus, kid," Darry said when Dally finished his story. He was at a loss for what to do next. On one hand, he was proud of Dally for being honest with him and wanted to reward that. On the other, he was pretty damn pissed that the kid would be so careless with his safety. Who knew what those Socs would've done if they'd gotten their hands on him? Darry patted Dallas's leg. "Stand up a second." </p><p>Dally did as he was told, pulling his jeans up as he went. Darry didn't let him go far. He knew he was taking a risk of the kid balking, but he pulled Dally to stand between his spread legs. The kid must really have been feeling vulnerable as he didn't fight it, just stood there in front of Darry. Darry had to crane his neck to look Dally in the eyes more than he did with the smaller boys, but this was important and he wanted the kid to take him seriously. He looked at Dally for a moment, deciding what his first words to the kid would be. He decided to approach it like he would with Pony or Johnny. "Sounds like you had a rough day, huh?"</p><p>"Guess so." </p><p>"I'm sorry that happened. With the exception of throwing the rock, which we're gonna talk about later, you didn't do anything wrong for people to be calling you names all day. I hope you know that Two-Bit didn't mean nothing by it when he called you that. I called him a lousy delinquent earlier today. We don't mean nothin' by it," Darry said. </p><p>"I know. He's as much of a hood as I am," Dally said, cracking a small smile for the first time that Darry had seen that day.</p><p>"You got that right. None of us are angels 'round here. I don't like the idea of you thinking you're too bad to be with us. You might do things I don't approve of, but so has each and everyone of them boys out there. And I did a lot of stupid shit before I had to take charge of y'all. Even now I still mess up sometimes. And for what it's worth, I think you're a whole lot less reckless than when I first met you. I might not like everything you do, but I can tell you care about the boys something fierce and you do feel guilty when y'all get in trouble together. That counts a lot in my book. You get what I'm sayin'?"</p><p>"Yeah," Dally said, but Darry didn't believe him. He decided to make the declaration that he'd been thinking about for awhile. </p><p>"I know you value your independence and because of that I've let you handle your own business, but I'm starting to think that was a mistake. It's clear to me that you don't want to be seen as a hoodlum, but the only way to do that is to not act like that. Whenever you do, I'm gonna whup your backside. Not just if you got the boys involved or if it happens in this house. You know by now what I don't tolerate from the other boys and I'm not gonna tolerate from you neither. "</p><p>"Yessir," Dally mumbled and Darry's eyebrows almost shot up to the ceiling. He never thought he'd seen the day that Dallas Winston called him sir.</p><p>"You have the heart and the brain not to be a hood and don't you forget it. I see the way you look out for the boys, 'specially Johnny and Ponyboy. And I remember when you took the fall for Two-Bit for breaking the school windows. You're not as hard as you think you are. If you don't know that deep down you're a good person, just ask Johnny. He practically worships you."</p><p>"Yeah, okay."</p><p>"I hate to have to do this, but we still gotta talk about something. Do you know what that is?"</p><p>"Throwing the rock? That was hood shit, wasn't it?" Dally asked, avoiding Darry's eyes.</p><p>"Dallas, look at me," Darry ordered, "As far as I'm concerned, nothing you did today makes you a hood. I couldn't give a shit about some Soc's car. They deserved it for calling you names and splashing you.  What makes me upset is the danger you put yourself in. I don't even like you boys walking by yourselves, let alone doing anything to antagonize the Socs. Hell, they could've killed you. If you're in trouble like that, you do whatever you can to get yourself somewhere safe. Nothing else. Understood?"</p><p>"Yessir, I understand." Wow, two sirs in one day? Darry couldn't believe it. </p><p>"What would you want me to do if it was Johnny who did that?" Darry said, wanting to drive the point home.</p><p>Dally's eyes went wide, and he looked sick at the thought of Johnny doing that. "I'd want you to spank him good enough that he never did it again."</p><p>"Yep, and I would do it too. Your life is just as important, so you're gonna get a spanking to remind you not to risk it.  Do you want it now or tomorrow after your butt has had time to heal a little from before?"</p><p>"I just wanna get it over with," Dally said, after a few seconds of hesitation. Darry figured as much. He knew that the kid was probably smarting, but not so much that he couldn't take more. He just didn't want to overwhelm Dallas by making him bend over for a third time in one day. As usual, Darry would bare the kid's butt to make sure he wasn't overdoing it. </p><p>"I understand. I'm only using my hand since I know you had a pretty rough day but if this happens again, I'm gonna have to use something stronger," Darry said. He reached out and unbuttoned Dally's jeans with and pulled them down. He'd never done that to Dal before, Darry was just going by instinct. He helped Dally climb over his knee before tugging the seventeen year old's briefs down. Raising his hand, he brought it down with a firm slap on the bare backside in front of him. </p><p>While Darry never enjoyed punishing his kid brothers, there were some days where it was particularly hard and this was one of those days. Dally's backside was already pink, bordering on red, from the belt and the earlier spanking for back talk, but Darry just couldn't let the rock throwing go. Dally had trouble with impulse control and that could get him killed. Darry wanted to make a firm point to Dallas that his life was not disposable. He targeted more of Dally's legs than he usually would in order to not overheat the kid's already tender butt, but let his hand fall heavily, determined to make an impression.</p><p>"You will not put yourself in danger for no good reason," Darry lectured, alternating back and forth on Dally's legs until he started to wiggle them in response to the sting, "If they would've caught you, they could've really hurt you. And if a cop had seen you do that, you'd be right back in the cooler." </p><p>Dally nodded frantically in response to Darry's words, yelping in response to the swats. Darry moved his hand back up smack Dally's butt, right where he sat down. He wanted the kid to be sitting gingerly for a little while. As Darry continued to heat up the kid's backside, Dally started to squirm a little. And then a lot. Darry never thought he'd describe Dal as squirmy, but today he could rival Ponyboy. </p><p>"Settle down," Darry ordered, not stopping his hand falling. When Dallas didn't comply, Darry gave him a firm tap, bordering on a smack, to his hip. The yelping and the wiggling were surprising behavior from Dally, but Darry knew the kid had an emotional day. Once Dally stopped moving so much, Darry sped up the pace and intensity of his smacks, bringing the lesson home. He knew Dally was crying now, and not just from his burning backside. Seeing that every part of the skin from the top of the kid's butt to halfway to his knees was either pink or red, Darry stopped spanking, but left his hand on the Dally's butt.  "I'm gonna see to it that you don't grow up to be a hood, but you gotta stay alive for me to do that. You savvy?"</p><p>"Yessir," Dally choked out, and Darry removed his hand from the kid's backside in favor of rubbing his back. He didn't usually do it with Dally, but he started murmuring reassurances to the kid. Eventually when the crying slowed, Darry lifted the kid's briefs back up. Dally's resulting hiss felt like a punch to the gut to Darry. Still teary eyed, Dally pushed himself off Darry's lap. </p><p>"You want some time to collect yourself?" Darry asked. He hated that the kid didn't want to be held like the other boys, but he wanted to give Dally the space he needed. Shockingly, instead of nodding, Dally let out a soft "No."</p>
<hr/><p>Dally's first instinct was to push Darry away as usual, but something held him back. For the first time, he actually wanted Darry to stay. Didn't want to lick his wounds in private. His head was all screwy and he didn't like it. But he could worry about being a bawl-baby later. At that moment all he wanted was his brother's comfort. As soon as he replied 'no' to Darry asking if he wanted space, Dally felt strong arms being wrapped around him.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Dally sniffled, starting to cry again. </p><p>"I know," Darry said, "Everything is forgiven. I'm gonna need you to apologize to Two-Bit though." Dally nodded. He'd almost forgotten that that was why they were in Darry's room to begin with. The boys probably thought Darry was just plain mean for giving out the punishment he did just for knocking Two-Bit on his ass. None of them knew about the rock throwing. He'd usually pummel anyone who tried to give him sympathy, especially over something like getting his butt whupped, but if the boys were a little extra nice to him that night, he wouldn't complain. </p><p>After a little while, Dal felt Darry maneuver them closer to the bed. His ass protested when Darry pulled him down to sit, but the pain was alleviated a little when Darry pulled him closer. Now he was resting his weight on his hip and leaning into Darry. They stayed that was until Dally's tears dried up and a few minutes after that. Dally enjoyed the comfort of his big brother after such a shitty day. </p><p>"Hey, Dar?" Dally said, breaking the silence. He tried to ignore the fact that he sounded like a little kid trying to get his big brother's attention.</p><p>"Yeah, kiddo?" Darry had never called him 'kiddo' before. </p><p>"You really gonna whup me every time I screw up. ?" Dally asked. He didn't know how to feel about Darry's earlier promise. He didn't wanna be seen as hood no more, and Darry was the only one who had a chance of helping him make that happen, but he had a feeling he'd be on the receiving end of Darry's belt a lot more.</p><p>"Not every time. Sometimes you'll get popped or put in the corner or have to write lines. But you know the rules around here. You told me you don't want people thinking of you as a hood, so I'm gonna start calling you out on stuff that would make people think of you like that. People on the West side are always gonna judge us way we dress and talk and for not having any money. That's just the way of the world. But we can at least straighten up our act enough to get people on this side of town to respect us. I've never really said it like that, but that's what I've been trying to instill in the boys. And now that's what I'm gonna instill in you too."</p><p>Dally nodded along with the little speech. He knew being respected was important to Darry. And not just respect of other gangs for being tough, but respect around town for being a real stand up guy. It was why he was always had neat hair and clean clothes. Dally didn't think he'd ever care enough for that, but he'd like people to stop giving him dirty looks as he walked by.</p><p>"Okay," Dally said finally.</p><p>Darry squeezed his shoulder a little before letting him go. "Ready to go see what your knucklehead brothers are up to?"</p><p>Dally nodded and let Darry pull him to his feet. For once, he actually felt like Darry was right when he called them brothers. The boys were his brothers. Even Two-Bit.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Camping (part 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey, Johnny, man, you coming in Steve's car with me?" Dally asked. </p><p>"No, I want him and Pony in the truck. It's gonna be tight as is and they're the smallest," Darry answered for him. They were all headed out for a weekend camping trip, their first trip with the whole gang. They'd finally found a long weekend that Darry, Soda, and Steve all could get off and Darry was determined not to waste it. Darry knew they must be excited because he hadn't heard a single complaint about having to get up early. They were about to set off for the campground and Darry wanted to hit the road by 8. </p><p>"Aw, I wanted to go with Soda," Pony complained.</p><p>"No rugrats in my car," Steve said, smirking at Ponyboy. </p><p>"Not a rugrat," Pony muttered, rolling his eyes </p><p>"C'mon, let's get moving," Darry said, trying to stop any arguments before they started. The possibility of a blowup between Pony and Steve was another reason he wanted Pony in the truck with him. </p><p>The first hour or so of the car trip went well. Johnny had never been camping before and Pony was excited to tell him all about it. He talked on and on about how to pitch a tent and roast marshmallows over the fire. Darry was glad to hear him so excited about the trip. Unfortunately, it all came to a screeching halt when Pony pulled out his pack of cigarettes.</p><p>"Put those away," Darry ordered, "I don't want you blowing smoke in my face while I'm trying to drive."</p><p>"C'mon Dar!" Pony argued, "Just one? Please!" </p><p>"We'll be there in 45 minutes. You can last until then."</p><p>"Fine," Ponyboy muttered. Over the next fifteen minutes, Pony became increasingly grumpy. He even snapped at Johnny, earning him a smack to the top of his leg. Darry almost wished he'd have let kid have a cigarette but he couldn't give in now. All that would teach the kid was that throwing a tantrum would get him what he wanted. After one particularly sassy complaint, Darry had had enough.  </p><p>"Ponyboy Michael, if I hear one more complaint out of you, I will pull this car over and spank your butt right here," Darry threatened, "Is that what you want? To ride the rest of the way on a sore backside?"</p><p>"No, sir," Pony said, but mumbled under his breath, "This wouldn't've happened if I could've gone in the other car."</p><p>Darry couldn't believe the nerve on this kid. Did Pony really think that Darry couldn't hear him? Damnit, Darry hadn't actually planned to go through with his threat, thinking Ponyboy would shape up in order to avoid a whupping on the side of the road. Luckily the road was pretty isolated. He considered waiting the 30 minutes and just spanking Pony when he got there, but he'd made a promise to the kid and he had to follow through. </p><p>Without another word, Darry turned his blinker on and veered off the side of the road. The boys in the car behind him followed along. Once there, Darry hopped out and walked over to where Steve had rolled his window down. </p><p>"Everything alright with the truck?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Yeah, I just gotta spank a misbehaving backside. Y'all might as well stay in the car. We'll be back on the road in five."</p><p>"What'd Ponykid do?" Two-Bit chimed in from the backseat. They all knew it had to be Ponyboy. Not much trouble you could get into in the car besides having a smart mouth and Johnny wasn't exactly known for that.</p><p>"I should've just let him have the stupid cigarette," Darry muttered, leaving Two-Bit's question unanswered. </p><p>"Dar, I'm real sorry about how I acted in the car. I'll behave from now on. Promise," Ponyboy said. He and Johnny had both exited the car and were standing in the grass.</p><p>"Too little, too late, kiddo," Darry said, opening the passenger side door and sitting on the edge of the seat, "C'mere."  He thought about lowering the tailgate and doing it there, but with all the boys in the car behind them, he didn't want to humiliate Ponyboy. He didn't have a problem baring the kid's backside right in their living room, but it felt a little too much like putting on a show to spank him right in front of a carful of boys.</p><p>Ponyboy reluctantly came forward and let Darry undo his jeans. Wanting make this a short and sharp reminder, Darry tugged the kid over his lap and pulled his underwear down. He hoped that spanking Pony out here would make him behave for the rest of the trip. Without lecturing, Darry spanked Ponyboy's bare butt until the skin was evenly light pink before pulling his underwear back up.</p><p>"I don't wanna hear one more bit of attitude from you," Darry warned, staring the kid down.</p><p>"Yessir, sorry," Pony said, pulling his pants up, "But can I please have a smoke before we go? I know I'm cranky and I really don't wanna mouth off and get spanked again."</p><p>Darry sighed, not wanting to reward bad behavior but also not wanting to battle Ponyboy for the rest of the drive.</p><p>"I wanna get right back on the road," Darry said, "Johnny, you mind sittin' in the middle so Pony can smoke in the truck?"</p><p>"No, sir, I don't mind," Johnny replied. God, he was the only polite one of the bunch.</p><p>"Thanks Johnnycake! Oh and thanks Dar," Pony said, giving his oldest brother a sheepish smile.</p><p>"Let's get back on the road then. Ponyboy, no more attitude, I mean it."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, clearly not wanting to push his luck after just having gotten permission to smoke. The rest of the drive was surprisingly pleasant, the three listening to the radio and enjoying the fresh air. They all even sang along when 'Blue Suede Shoes' came on over the radio. Darry was kicking himself for not just letting Pony have a cigarette in the first place. They could've avoided all this. Pony was notoriously grumpy when he needed a smoke. Darry knew he really needed to get the kid to quit, but during their family camping trip just wasn't the time to do it.</p><p>Darry expected some arguments as they set up camp, but surprisingly everyone was in good spirits. Even Ponyboy and Steve worked together to pitch a tent without arguing. They had managed to round up three tents, enough for all of them to sleep comfortably. Steve found one in his old man's garage and the Curtises had two. When they were little, Darry and Soda would be in the small one and Ponyboy was with their parents in the big one. When they got older, after much pleading on Ponyboy's part, the three boys took the big one and their parents took the small one. They made it one night before Ponyboy stayed up all night scared of the ghost stories his brothers told him. That morning saw a stern lecture and a few swats for the two older boys.</p><p>"Me and Soda got dibs on this one," Steve said, throwing his sleeping bag into the tent that he and Ponyboy had just put up.</p><p>"Me and Johnny are taking this one," Dally called, pointing to the other small tent. Pony immediately opened his mouth to protest</p><p>"You and Johnny and Ponyboy can have the big tent," Darry said, stopping the Johnny tug-of-war before it started, "Two-Bit can bunk with me. Where'd he run off to anyway?"  As soon as he said that, he felt something smack him in the back of the head followed by howling laughter that could only come from one person. Turning around, Darry saw that Two-Bit had already managed to climb a tree and was tossing acorns at them.</p><p>"Get down here before I paddle your behind," Darry threatened, not really meaning it.</p><p>"You packed the paddle on our camping trip?" Steve asked, scrunching his face.</p><p>"No, I didn't pack the paddle," Darry said, rolling his eyes, "I wasn't exactly thinking about having to spank y'all when I was getting my bag together."</p><p>"So what I'm hearing is, I can do whatever I want and not get whupped," Two-Bit called.</p><p>"Try it and see," Darry replied, "I can always take a switch to your behind."</p>
<hr/><p>This could potentially be the stupidest thing Two-Bit had ever done. Or it could be the tuffest. Good thing he had Johnny to use as a human shield. He'd seen the spider this morning and trapped it in a cup. It was just a Daddy longlegs, nothing dangerous, but they all knew Dally hated spiders. No one had been brave enough to bring it up. Until now. Two-Bit had roped Johnny into planting it on Dally's face while the seventeen year old napped at the campsite. Johnny was the only one who could do it and not risk getting his throat cut. </p><p>"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Two-Bit said, as Dally started to stir at the tickle on his face. As Dally sat up, the spider fell from his face to his lap.</p><p>"Holy shit!," Dally cried, "What the fuck was that?"</p><p>"Looked like a spider," Two-Bit said, unable to control his laughter. When Dally glared at him, Two-Bit immediately dove behind Johnny for protection.</p><p>"You do this?" Dally asked, stalking toward Two-Bit.</p><p>"No, Johnny did."</p><p>"Hey, it was your idea!" Johnny replied. Dally ignored Johnny, grabbing Two-Bit by the collar before he could bolt.</p><p>"Ow ow ow ow ow," Two-Bit said, as the younger boy pinched the nape of his neck. Two-Bit couldn't fight back. He had to just go where Dally took him. Johnny followed along behind as Dally dragged Two-Bit the short distance to the pond.</p><p>"What happened?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Kid needs a good ass whupping," Dally said, shoving Two-Bit toward Darry.  </p><p>"What'd you do?" </p><p>"This dipshit put a spider on me while I was sleeping," Dally answered for him. Two-Bit was relieved to see Darry crack half a smile.</p><p>"I didn't do it! Johnny did!" Two-Bit said, knowing Johnny wouldn't get in trouble for this.</p><p>"It was Two-Bit's idea!" Johnny argued. Two-Bit glared at him but was secretly glad to see the kid sticking up for himself.</p><p>"Alright, Dal, I'll blister his behind for you," Darry agreed, making Two-Bit nervous, "But then I gotta whup Johnny too. Gotta be fair."</p><p>Two-Bit knew exactly what Darry was doing. Hell, they all probably knew what Darry was doing. There was no way Dally would suggest that Johnny got his butt spanked over this, regardless of how pissed he was at Two-Bit.</p><p>"But Two-Bit was the one that planned all this," Dally huffed. </p><p>"Fair enough," Darry said, "Two-Bit, go stand facing a tree or something. You're in timeout." </p><p>"For how long?" Two-Bit asked. </p><p>"Till we're done fishing or till Dally lets you out. Whichever comes first," Darry said, laughing. Two-Bit sighed and walked over toward the tree, while Dally grinned like a cheshire cat at him.</p><p>Two-Bit only managed to stay still for about five minutes before he started to get restless. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dally tackling Johnny and them wrestling in the dirt. Seemed like Dally was getting his payback on Johnny as well. Once they stopped, Two-Bit quickly got bored. Feeling like he was about to die of boredom, Two-Bit whispered, "Psst, Dal."</p><p>When Dally looked his way with a smug grin, Two-Bit mouthed the words 'let me out' to Dally.</p><p>"What's that? Can't hear you," Dally asked, knowing clear well what Two-Bit wanted.</p><p>"Let me out," Two Bit whispered, but Dally just grinned and held a finger to his ear. Two-Bit repeated, a little louder this time, "Let me out." </p><p>"Two-Bit, no talking in timeout," Darry called. How Darry managed to hear him, Two-Bit would never know. </p><p>"I'll let you out on one condition," Dally said, "You let me borrow your car next weekend." Two-Bit fervently nodded his head. He'd probably trade his prized switchblade to get out of staring at this tree. Dally grinned before calling. "Alright, Darry, I'm letting him out."</p>
<hr/><p>"Me and Steve are gonna go night swimming. Anyone else wanna come?" Soda announced around 8pm that night. </p><p>"I wanna go!" Ponyboy immediately said. </p><p>"I don't think so," Darry replied, "Y'all can go swimming tomorrow. It's too dangerous to try to get down there now."</p><p>"C'mon Dar! We'll be careful," Steve pleaded.</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Please? You'd be the coolest, funnest big brother in the world," Soda said, batting his eyelashes, trying to soften Darry up.</p><p>"I said no," Darry replied. Soda immediately sent him a overdramatic pout worthy of Ponyboy. He'd really wanted to go night swimming.</p><p>"Stop pouting or I'll give you something to pout about," Darry said sternly before cracking a grin, "I'll eat all the marshmallows and won't let you have any." At that, Soda immediately took off running to the snack bag and grabbing the marshmallows before Darry could get them. From there, it became a game of keep away from Darry, with Pony, Soda, and Steve tossing it back and forth to one another. Eventually Two-Bit and Johnny jumped in on Darry's side and Dally joined the younger team. Eventually Johnny was able to sneak up and grab the bag from Soda's hands, but Steve quickly grabbed him and tickled him under the armpit and he dropped the bag. By the end, no one knew who was on whose side but Two-Bit got hold of the bag and ripped it open, grabbing two marshmallows and shoving them in his mouth.</p><p>The game now over, Steve and Soda built a fire while Ponyboy and Johnny collected sticks for Darry and Dally to sharpen. As usual, Two-Bit did nothing but sit on his butt. Soon enough, they were all gathered around the campfire. Darry, Dally, Two-Bit and Steve drank beer while the rest drank Pepsis.</p><p>"You want a sip?" Two-Bit asked Pony. All eyes immediately shot to Darry. Soda didn't know if Darry was just gonna roll his eyes and tell Two-Bit to shut up or rip him a new one. To his shock, Darry did neither.</p><p>"Go ahead," Darry said with a nod, "Just a sip though. I'm not cleaning up after any puking teenagers tonight. That goes for all y'all."</p><p>Pony looked nervously at Sodapop, who gave him a little grin. Soda knew his kid brother didn't like to be the center of attention, and now they were all watching him take his first sip of beer. His one and only drinking encounter was with whiskey and Darry had grounded him for it. Neither Ponyboy or Johnny had touched another drop since that day, as far as Soda knew. </p><p>After taking a deep breath, Pony took a small sip of Two-Bit's beer and immediately scrunched up his face. Soda laughed. He felt the same way about beer. </p><p>"Glory, I don't know why y'all drink that stuff. Pepsi is so much better," Pony said, taking a swig of his soda to wash the taste out. </p><p>"Try it with a little rum in it sometime," Dally said.</p><p>"Don't be giving him any ideas," Darry replied.</p>
<hr/><p>"Alright, I think everybody's asleep by now," Soda said, nudging Steve who had started to doze off himself. Steve rubbed his eyes and sat up. He really hoped they didn't get busted for this, but it seemed like the only way they could get to go swimming in the dark. When Soda whispered the idea to him, he was immediately on board. He just wished Dally and Two-Bit could come along.  Johnny wouldn't to go anyway since Darry already said no and Steve didn't particularly want Ponyboy along. He knew Soda would be fussing over Ponyboy getting there safely and it wouldn't be any fun. </p><p>The two carefully made their way out of the tent and tiptoed away from the campsite. If anyone caught them on the way out, it wouldn't be so bad. They could just say they were going to take a leak. It was the way back that would be more risky when they showed up soaking wet. When they got nearer to the pond, Steve realized what Darry was talking about. They had fished earlier off a small bluff, but to actually get to the shore, you had to climb down some pretty big rocks. Steve momentarily thought about grabbing Soda and turning back, but he figured if they were gonna risk getting their asses whipped, it might as well have been for something. </p><p>Luckily, they made it successfully down the rocks no problem. Steve enjoyed the feeling of success as he stripped down to his underwear and waded into the pond. The water was a little chilly at night, but it was fun to swim in the moonlight. He and Soda screwed around in the water for a while, jumping around and splashing one another until they got tired. They had to be somewhat quiet, as any hollering would probably be heard at the campsite, but they were far enough away that they could have a little fun. </p><p>Finally, when they got too cold to keep swimming, the pair made their way out of the lake. Steve put on his t-shirt, but it didn't do too much to warm him up.  He was ready to be back at the campsite and in his sleeping bag. Soda lead the way up the rocks and Steve followed behind. They had almost made it up when Soda lost his footing and slipped, landing on his hip. </p><p>"Fuck," Soda muttered as he registered the fall.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Steve asked hurriedly.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine. Just gonna have a nice bruise on my ass tomorrow," Soda replied, though his voice was a little strained. </p><p>"You alright to walk? I can go get Darry," Steve said worriedly.</p><p>"Nah, just help me up," Soda said, grinning, "Last thing I need is for Darry to find out about this and my ass to be doubly sore." Steve extended a hand and pulled Soda to his feet. Steve was relieved to see Soda wasn't limping. He didn't doubt the fall had hurt, but it seemed like Soda wasn't in that much pain now as he was cracking jokes again as soon as they got off the rocks.</p><p>As they snuck back into camp, Steve felt like they may just have pulled it off. No lights were on in the campsite and all appeared to be quiet. That is, until the light flicked on and Darry harshly whispered, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?"</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Camping (part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darry's bladder woke him up in the middle of the night and he reluctantly climbed out of the tent to pee. When he was done, he figured he'd peek in the other tents and make sure the boys were okay. He often did that with Pony and Sodapop. He was pretty sure Sodapop knew, but Pony still seemed unaware. He peeked first into the big tent to see Dally sleeping in the center between the two youngest. God, they all looked younger when they were asleep. </p><p>Tiptoeing so not to wake anyone up, Darry peered into the other tent, but was shocked to find it empty. He tried to tell himself not to panic. It's not like they were little kids who could've gotten snatched. No, they were probably just up to some mischief.  He grabbed his watch and checked the time. 2:14. He would give them till three and then he'd wake the other boys and start hunting for them. </p><p>Determined to distract himself, Darry lit the lantern and tried to read the book he'd brought along. He didn't make it through a single page. He kept getting distracted thinking about the boys and had to keep reading the same paragraph over and over. Finally, he started to hear footsteps. It sounded like they were still a little bit away, but with how quiet the woods were, he could still hear them. He decided to switch off the lamp so he could catch them off guard.</p><p>As the boys got closer, he could hear them laughing and whispering to each other. Any possible hope Darry had that they had some sort of good excuse was gone. When they got to camp, Darry flicked on the lantern. He felt like hollering at them, but he didn't want to wake the other boys up. Instead he settled on an angry whisper, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?"</p><p>"We went down by the pond," Steve answered. </p><p>"AFTER I TOLD YOU EARLIER NOT TO GO SWIMMING?" Darry whisper-yelled, taking stock of the now soaking wet boys standing there shivering in their underwear and t-shirts, carrying their jeans with them. Well, that certainly gave Darry easy access. </p><p>"Wait, Dar," Soda whispered frantically as Darry reached for him, "You don't wanna wake the boys."</p><p>"You're right. Stay here," Darry said. He walked over to the trees and snapped down a branch that was about six inches long. It wasn't near long enough to be called a switch, but Darry knew it would sting plenty over just their wet briefs and be much quieter than his hand. He grabbed Soda and smacked the stick down on his backside four times.</p><p>"Oww," Soda complained in a whisper, rubbing his butt. Darry grabbed Steve and did the same to him. This was nowhere near their full punishment, but that could wait till it was light out.</p><p>"Get some dry clothes on and go to sleep. You're both getting a whupping in the morning."</p>
<hr/><p>Morning came all too fast for Sodapop, as he awoke to Darry unzipping their tent and sticking his head in.</p><p>"Rise and shine, kiddos," Darry said, "It's past 10 and y'all already missed breakfast." Soda and Steve groggily followed Darry out of the tent to the picnic table where he gestured for them to both sit down. It was just like getting scolded on the couch, but with all the fun of the outdoors.  </p><p>"Where are the boys?" Soda asked.</p><p>"They're already down at the lake swimming," Darry said, "I'm gonna head down there too after this. Y'all are gonna stay here and make lunch for everyone."</p><p>"Yessir," both Soda and Steve replied. They knew better to even ask if they could go swimming. Maybe in the afternoon if Darry was feeling nice, he'd let them go. </p><p>"Do y'all have any idea how worried I was last night? I mean, if y'all were gonna run off and do what I specifically told you not to, you could've at least left a note saying where you were going?"</p><p>"Would it help if we promise to invite you next time?" Soda said, flashing his most charming grin. Sometimes Soda could get Darry to soften up by doing that, but it came with the real risk of getting smacked if Darry thought he was being fresh. </p><p>"There better damn well not be a next time," Darry said, "I'm amazed y'all managed to climb up and down those big rocks in the pitch black without breaking your necks."</p><p>"It did get a little dicey," Steve admitted.</p><p>"You think?" Darry growled, "That's why I told you not to. Y'all apparently don't have a lick of sense when it comes to keeping yourselves safe. Why couldn't ya just wait till today to go swimming?"</p><p>"We thought swimming in the dark would be more fun," Soda said sheepishly. </p><p>"Yeah, well now instead of having fun down at the lake with the rest of the boys, y'all are stuck here getting your asses whupped. And I'm stuck here whupping your asses."</p><p>"Sorry," Soda mumbled, studying his feet. He did feel bad that Darry was missing out on part of the short vacation to discipline them.</p><p>"Yeah, you're gonna be. Y'all are lucky you didn't get hurt climbing over those rocks."</p><p>"Uh, I actually kinda did," Soda said in response to Steve's pointed look at him. Steve had interrogated Soda about why he hadn't told Darry about it the night before, arguing that Darry wouldn't whip him over the spot he hurt. Soda had worried that Darry would be even madder if he found out about it, but he was gonna find out when Soda dropped his underwear today anyway. </p><p>"You're hurt? Where?" Darry asked, his tone switching from stern to concerned. </p><p>"Uh, I kinda fell and landed on my ass near my hip," Soda replied. </p><p>"Show me," Darry said. Soda knew he had no choice but to obey. He stood up and pushed the side of his underwear down. He craned his head around to see the bruise himself. It was pretty purple near his hip spreading onto his ass, but it looked worse than it really was. </p><p>"I didn't hit you over it last night, did I?" Darry said, looking guilty.</p><p>"Nope, you missed it," Soda said, "But I have to say the fall did hurt plenty and I've very much learned my lesson about doing dangerous things."</p><p>"Nice try," Darry said, tone growing stern again, "You may have realized how dangerous it was now, but you still disobeyed me and are gonna get whupped for it. I know y'all think you're grown and don't have to listen to me anymore, but you do. At least until you stop trying to do reckless stuff."</p><p>"Yessir," both boys replied in unison.</p><p>"Alright, both of you, bend over, knees on the bench, " Darry ordered.</p><p>"You gonna use your belt?" Steve asked as they both got into position.</p><p>"I probably should, but no. I found a flyswatter this morning in the camping stuff," Darry replied. One family camping trip had been so overrun by horseflies that their dad had gone out and bought each of them their own flyswatter to keep the flies away. They got taken away when the boys wouldn't stop smacking each other with them. </p><p>"I won't smack you over the spot you hurt," Darry promised. Soda was pretty sure that was the case anyway, but it was still nice to have the reassurance. He felt Darry tug his briefs down before moving over to do the same to Steve. Seconds later, Soda felt the flyswatter smack down on the right side of his ass. Damn, that thing stung. Soda had never felt a flyswatter across his ass, which was surprising since  His big brother had a tendency to grab whatever was in arms reach if he was just doling out a few licks but still wanted to make an impression. Soda had been popped with, or seen his brothers get popped with, a wooden spoon, spatula, sneaker, wooden clothes hanger, rolled up newspaper, paperback book, hardcover book, and magazine, but never a fly swatter. Darry would not make a good librarian with the way he treated the written word. Soda snorted a little bit at the thought.</p><p>"Something funny?" Darry growled, switching back from Steve to bring the flyswatter down on Soda's butt. </p><p>"Ah, no sir," Soda said. He hissed a little as Darry stayed on his ass longer than the usual four smacks before moving back to Steve. The hurt wasn't as deep as with the belt, which hopefully meant they'd be sitting easy by tomorrow night when they had to drive home, but it still stung like a bitch. Soda winced as Steve started to get vocal, letting out a yelp on in response to one of Darry's smacks. </p><p>The right side of Soda's ass and his upper thighs were burning like crazy, but as promised, the left side of his butt was spared. It was kind of a weird feeling having one side be left alone while the other is lit up. Unfortunately he knew that he wasn't getting out of any smacks, just getting more on the right and to his legs than he would otherwise. </p><p>"Ow, fuck," Steve whispered at one point. Judging by his voice, he wasn't far from tears now. Soda was getting close too. </p><p>"You need your mouth washed out too?" Darry threatened.</p><p>"No, sir," Steve whimpered, "Sorry." Just like when Soda had laughed, Darry gave Steve some extra for that. Soda hated it when Darry broke from his pattern. He ended up bracing for every smack to fall on his butt, not knowing if they would or not.</p><p>"We're sorry," Soda cried, feeling tears start to roll down his face as Darry moved back to him. </p><p>"I know, little buddy. Almost done now," Darry promised, before whipping the fly swatter down harder than before. Soda lost count of how many he got in a row, just buried his face into his arms and cried. He barely even registered that the flyswatter moved from his ass to Steve's. The noise of the smacks was still there and at this point Soda's ass was stinging almost as bad as if Darry was still spanking him. He knew the sting would fade and the only bruise on his butt would be the one from the fall, but damned if it didn't feel like Darry whipped his butt right off. Finally, the smacking stopped and Soda felt himself being nudged down the bench away from Steve. He didn't really know what was happening, but he was too worn out to resist. The table shifted under him a bit and then suddenly a hand was rubbing his back. Once he'd calmed down enough to lift his head, he saw Darry sitting between them on top of the picnic table, rubbing both of their backs. A few seconds later, Steve lifted his head as well. </p><p>"Alright, c'mon, gimme a hug, both of you," Darry said, opening his arm. Soda raised up on his knees and launched himself into Darry's arms, burying his head in his big brother's shoulder. It was weird. He always felt like he should be pissed at Darry for beating his ass, but he just wanted his big brother's love and reassurance after it was over. </p>
<hr/><p>"Ponyboy, come back to where we can see you. It's not safe to be swimming over there all alone." Two-Bit called.</p><p>"When did you turn into Darry?" Pony called back to where Two-Bit and Dally were standing together. Johnny was up on the bank skipping rocks. </p><p>"Cut it out, kid, and do what Two-Bit says. I don't want to have to explain to Darry why we lost you."</p><p>Ponyboy pretended he didn't hear them, just dove under the water and did a few flips. He almost fell back when he stood up and Two-Bit was standing there, arms crossed.</p><p>"C'mon, we're going back to were Johnny and Dal are," Two-Bit said.</p><p>"I'm fine over here!" Ponyboy argued, rolling his eyes, "Nothing bad's gonna happen!" </p><p>"Don't make me get Darry to drag you back. You know he's already in a whupping mood."</p><p>"No, Two-Bit, don't!"</p><p>"You have till the count of three to come back with me or I'm getting Darry," Two-Bit said firmly, "One."</p><p>"Alright, I'll come," Ponyboy said, not itching for another trip over Darry's knee. As he followed Two-Bit back to the other side of the pond, he spotted Darry walking down toward the bank. He sent an imploring look toward Two-Bit.</p><p>"Don't worry, I ain't no snitch," Two-Bit said, before calling up to Darry, "Where are Steve and Soda? You didn't kill 'em, did you?"</p><p>"They're up making lunch since they didn't help with breakfast. I told them we'd be back in an hour."</p><p>"Are they okay?" Johnny asked.</p><p>"Yes, Johnnycake, they're fine. Neither of them are gonna be sitting easy but I made sure they were alright before I left. They'll both be making jokes like nothing happened when we get back. Now, it's hot as hell out and I'm the only one who hasn't been in the water yet this trip," Darry said, shrugging his shirt off and wading into the pond. The five boys played around in the cool water until Darry announced it was time to go back. Even though Pony loved the water, he was ready to go back and see with his own eyes that Soda was okay. </p><p>When they arrived back at the campsite, Soda and Steve had grilled up burgers and put out a bag of chips and the fruit salad that Darry insisted on bringing. Lunch was a quick affair, as the boys who'd been swimming all morning were ravenous and the two that hadn't been ate quickly to avoid sitting any longer on the hard picnic bench. </p><p>"Can we go swimming now?" Pony asked as soon as lunch over. He was itching to get back down to the water. Their parents used to say that he and Sodapop were part fish. Darry had liked the water too, but he'd be just as happy playing catch with his dad on the bank. The two youngest were the ones constantly begging their parents to take them camping or to the public pool. </p><p>"You and Johnny are on dish duty, then you can go," Darry said. Johnny immediately got up and did as he was told, but Ponyboy huffed and rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Do we need to have another conversation about attitude, little man?"</p><p>"No sir," Ponyboy hurriedly replied. The roadside conversation they'd had was far than enough talk for him and he was still counting his lucky stars that Two-Bit wasn't gonna tell on him for not listening earlier. There was only a few forks and plates to wash anyway.</p><p>"Uh, are we allowed to come?" Steve asked tentatively. Pony half hoped that Darry would say no to Steve, but changed his mind when he realized that meant Soda couldn't come either.   </p><p>"Yes, but you two better behave or you'll find yourselves sitting up on the bank on your sore butts faster than you can blink," Darry said sternly.</p><p>"Aw, c'mon Darry, lighten up!" Two-Bit said, "You already skinned them. It's only fair to let them cool their asses off. "</p><p>"Oh, I'll cool you off," Darry said, grabbing Two-Bit and throwing him over his shoulder. Pony was always impressed by the way Darry could haul any of them off their feet with ease. For the second time in two days, Two-Bit was taken down to the pond against his will, only this time he was tossed straight off the bank into the deep water. </p><p>"I'll get you back for that, Curtis!" Two-Bit yelled when he resurfaced, giving Pony an idea. He turned to Johnny and gave a nod towards Darry before they both ran over and pushed Darry off the small cliff. Darry came up sputtering in surprise but grinned at them once he got his bearings. The remaining five jumped in soon after. The rest of the afternoon was filled with chicken fights, handstands, and Dally scowling whenever his foot touched anything slimy. When the sun started to set, Darry made them all get out and head back to camp. No one dared argue after what had happened with Soda and Steve the night before. </p><p>"After we all get changed, we're gonna do some switching around of the sleeping arrangements, so grab your sleeping bags and stuff. Soda, you and Pony take one of the small tents. Two-Bit, take Pony's place in the big tent. Steve, you're with me." Pony was secretly relieved. He liked bunking with Johnny and Dally, but he missed having Soda beside him. </p>
<hr/><p>Another dinner and quite a few rounds of s'mores, some of the younger boys headed to the tents. Pony nodded off leaning against Soda, and Soda announced that he and Pony were gonna hit the sack. Steve, still nursing a sore butt, headed off soon after. Johnny stuck around, but when he started dozing off in his chair, Darry suggested he head to the tent as well. Darry, Two-Bit, and Dally stuck around watching the campfire burn out. </p><p>"Pass me another beer, wouldya?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Woah there, a second beer?" Two-Bit said, nursing his fourth, "We got a party animal over here."</p><p>"Well, I'm hoping y'all can actually stay out of trouble for a night so I can enjoy this."</p><p>"We'll look after the kiddies for ya," Dally grinned, "Let loose."</p><p>"Are y'all up to something?" Darry asked. They were way too eager to have him drink more.</p><p>"No, not this time," Two-Bit reassured him, "Me and Dal were just talking earlier and we just feel bad that you never get to screw around and just be a kid. I know you lean on Sodapop a lot,  but we're both older than him so we can help out too. Y'know, look out for the younger boys and each other so you don't have to look out for us so much."</p><p>"What brought this on?" Darry swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Some days he felt like a real hard ass, ordering the boys around and whupping them when they disobeyed, but this reminded him why it was all worth it. His boys might gripe and whine when they got punished, but even his most reckless kid brothers recognized that disciplining them took a toll on Darry. </p><p>"I think we kinda realized that without you or Soda there, if someone got hurt or something, we'd have to deal with it," Dally said, "And then there was the whole thing with Ponyboy."</p><p>"What thing with Ponyboy?" Darry asked, noticing Two-Bit shoot a look at Dally, "Two-Bit?"</p><p>"He wasn't listening when Dal and I told him to stay where we could see him and he kinda blew us off. I had to start counting to get him to come back," Two-Bit said, "But I told him I wouldn't rat him out, so you gotta be cool about it. It wasn't really that big of a deal." </p><p>Darry relaxed in his chair. He was nervous that whatever Two-Bit was gonna reveal would be much worse than that. "What were you gonna do if you got to three?"</p><p>"Well, I threatened to go get you, but that's what got us talking about stepping up a little more. It would've sucked for you if you had to whup a third ass today."</p><p>"I think he shoulda just popped the kid instead of bothering to count," Dally added.</p><p>"That's what I would've done," Darry said, "But as far as I know, you've never popped him or Johnny."</p><p>"I popped Johnny once after you whupped him for sleeping in the lot. But I've smacked them both upside the head plenty."</p><p>"Well, I certainly won't complain if y'all wanna try to help me keep these boys in line," Darry replied. </p><p>"So if we're stepping up to take charge more, that probably means we're too mature to get whupped then?" Two-Bit tried hopefully.</p><p>"Nice try, but I just whupped Soda this morning and he's been my second for quite a while now. No one's immune from a whupping in this family. Even me." Darry was proud of his boys for wanting to step up, but he was under no impression that he wouldn't have to keep whupping their behinds. He just hoped that this new commitment to behave would last through the end of the camping trip and he wouldn't have to do any more spanking. He hated having to punish any of his boys but he'd do it in a heartbeat to keep them safe and help them grow up right.</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Morally Ambiguous</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Thank you to Fessst for the prompt!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve was practically walking on air. He'd saved the day. The Curtises' furnace had crapped out on them and Darry had to get it repaired. Not repairing it wasn't really an option, but after the added cost, they didn't know how they were gonna pay the bills that month. Steve felt bad about it and wanted to help. He knew that Darry fed him, Two-Bit, Dally, and Johnny quite a lot and that had to add up. They never talked about it, but Steve sometimes slipped some of his tips into the envelope where Darry kept any cash they had and had a hunch that the other boys did too.</p><p>The first of the month was coming soon, and even if Steve gave Darry his whole paycheck from his part time job, it wouldn't be enough to cover it. So Steve had another idea. He'd swiped some jewelry from the department store and taken it to the local pawn shop. Steve figured he'd pay the Curtises' gas and electric bills and Darry should have enough to cover the mortgage. It solved everyone's problems. Steve was excited to be the hero for once. Not only had he paid the bills, but when he told Darry, Darry would get out of his funk and stop popping them for every little thing. It was really a win-win.</p><p>"What's got you grinning so much?" Darry asked when Steve sauntered into the house that day, excited to reveal his big news.  </p><p>"Oh nothing, I just saved the day is all," Steve said. Darry raised an eyebrow at him. "I paid y'alls utility bills."</p><p>"Where'd you come up with that kind of money?" Darry asked suspiciously. Steve rolled his eyes at the question. God, why couldn't Darry just take the money and be happy?</p><p>"Swiped a couple pairs of earrings and a bracelet from the department store, then pawned them," Steve grinned, thinking Darry would be proud of his ingenuity. </p><p>"You what?!" Darry all but yelled.</p><p>"It's not like it's hurting anyone," Steve said, surprised at the sudden change of events, "We shoplift stuff all the time. You know that."</p><p>"Yeah, and I don't love that to begin with, but that's like packs of smokes and candy bars. Not fuckin' jewelry! Are you trying to get yourself locked up?"</p><p>"No, but what's done is done now. We might as well move on." Steve couldn't understand why Darry was making such a big deal out of this. It wasn't like when he and Soda got busted stealing hubcaps. He hadn't gotten caught this time and it was for a good cause!</p><p>"Move on?" Darry growled, "Oh no, you, young man, are getting your butt beat for this."</p><p>"For what, saving your bacon?!" Steve argued, his voice getting louder. How could Darry possibly be talking about whupping him for this?</p><p>"You better watch your tone, little boy," Darry warned, "Now, go get me the paddle and c'mere."</p><p>"No!" Steve argued, "I didn't do nothing wrong."</p><p>"You ain't gonna like it very much if I have to get it," Darry warned. Part of Steve wanted to shrink back at that, but he forced himself to stand his ground. He didn't deserve a whipping and he sure as hell wasn't gonna help Darry give him one. He debated just walking out the front door, like he'd seen Dally do before, but he knew Darry's rule was that you couldn't come back in till you took your punishment. He was pretty sure Darry wasn't gonna back down and he didn't particularly wanna know what the guy would do to him if he tried to bolt. </p><p>"Alright, stay here," Darry said after the two stared each other down for a minute. Steve knew he might be making a big mistake, but he was too indignant about the whole thing to care. It was a matter of pride! Only a few seconds later, he felt Darry grab his arm and the paddle crack down hard on the seat of his jeans. Damn that hurt! Darry kept going for two more good whacks, each one lifting Steve onto his toes. "You're staying here tonight. We're gonna have a conversation about doing what you're told before you go to bed."</p>
<hr/><p>Taking a seat on the couch, Darry stared the kid down a moment. He really hadn't expected the kid to disobey him over getting the paddle. Darry wouldn't give him a real bad punishment for it, but he still planned to reheat Steve's butt a little at bedtime. Steve wasn't usually one to fight him over punishments like Ponyboy or Dally. No, usually he and Sodapop were all apologies and guilty looks the minute they got busted. Well, Darry figured he might have to treat Steve like Ponyboy this time and spank some contrition into him. Not wanting to give the kid a chance to disobey, Darry undid Steve's jeans and pulled them down before tugging the kid over his lap. </p><p>Once the Steve was over his lap, Darry pulled the kid's underwear down and started smacking his bare backside. He figured at this point any lecture would fall on deaf ears. Steve lay stiffly over Darry's knees, despite the smacks the older boy was raining down. Darry increased the strength a little bit to see if he could get a reaction out of the kid. </p><p>"You are not gonna become a thug that makes a living stealing stuff," Darry scolded once he thought the kid's butt might sting enough so that he was ready to listen, "Not on my watch."</p><p>Steve didn't reply with the expected 'yes, sir' or even a nod, so Darry kept spanking. So much for contrition. He moved to the tops of the kid's thighs, watching as the Steve started to shift his weight around a little. </p><p>"You're pretty lucky," Darry lectured, "Getting caught stealing jewelry would've landed you in the cooler for sure."</p><p>"Don't feel very lucky," Steve grumbled.</p><p>"What was that?" Darry asked, giving him two extra hard pops. </p><p>"Nothing."</p><p>"That's what I thought." Darry returned to spanking at his normal strength, watching the kid's backside slowly turn red. His hand was stinging, so he knew Steve's butt must've truly been smarting, but the kid had yet to really give any reaction that the spanking was affecting him.</p><p>Darry never insisted that a punishment ended in tears, but it was usually how he would gauge when Steve had had enough. His boys all were different when it came to crying. Ponyboy would whine in the beginning but would be all tears and apologies as soon as he got the stubborn spanked out of him. Johnny, always the hardest to punish, would have glossy eyes before Darry even bent the kid over his knee, just from the knowledge that he'd done something bad enough to get punished. Two-Bit went between bargaining and making jokes, but his comments would get more and more sniffly as the punishment went on. Until recently, Dally gave it all he had not to cry in front of Darry, and hide it if he did. Soda and Steve were both usually stoic enough until pushed to their limits, and then when one started to cry, the other one soon followed. It had been a little while since he punished Steve alone, but Darry didn't think the kid had ever had this surly attitude about it before. </p><p>"I appreciate you trying to help, but that was not the right way to go about it," Darry said, hoping some acknowledgement of Steve's good intentions would soften the kid up. If anything, Steve tensed up even more over Darry's knee. Darry sighed and picked up the paddle, tapping it against the Steve's unprotected backside, "I'm gonna paddle you now since I know you know better than to steal. It ain't okay and it ain't never gonna be okay."</p><p>Once again, Steve didn't respond, so Darry popped the paddle down on the kid's butt. Darry wasn't being overly harsh, but he knew Steve would be plenty sore by the time this was over. He was sure that by the time they were done with the paddling, Steve would be remorseful. With that in mind, Darry snapped the paddle down on the kid's bottom from the top of his butt to midway down his legs. Darry hated hurting his brothers, but it was better this than the kid have a criminal record at 17 and have to spend some time in the cooler. Something like this would normally call for the belt, but he was trying to keep Steve's good intentions in mind.</p><p>When Darry wrapped the spanking up with four hard whacks, low down where the kid sat, he saw that Steve's shoulders were shaking. As usual, it broke Darry's heart to be the reason one of his kid brothers was crying and he was ready to comfort the kid and assure him that he was forgiven. </p><p>"Alright, Stevie, we're done," Darry said softly rubbing the kid's back, "You can get up whenever you want." At that Steve jerked himself off Darry's lap and yanked his pants back up, scowling at Darry the whole time. Darry didn't know what was wrong with Steve, but as he tried to pull the kid into a hug, Steve pulled away.</p><p>"Tell Soda I'll be in his room," Steve said, glaring,  "Don't worry. I won't try to sneak out. Wouldn't want to give you an actual reason to beat my ass."</p><p>Steve stormed to the bedroom and slammed the door, leaving Darry dumbfounded as to what just happened. With the exception of Dally, his boys had always wanted comfort and reassurance after they'd been punished and even Dally was coming around to being hugged. Darry sure knew he wanted his father to hug him after he got his ass beat raw. </p><p>Darry started to wonder if he was right in whupping Steve. The kid was so proud of himself and that had gotten to Darry. Today Steve was stealing to get them out of a jam, but what about next time? He didn't want the kid to turn to crime every time he needed some money. It could be a slippery slope. But instilling good morals was just one of the reasons Darry spanked Steve today.  The worst thing about what Steve did was how much trouble he could've gotten himself in. The kid was seventeen now. He could get sent to the big house, not just the reformatory. Swiping a candy bar might get him a slap on the wrist, but stealing jewelry could easily get him locked up.</p><p>But maybe he should've just let the kid off with a warning? I mean, clearly the kid had good intentions. It wasn't like he was stealing stuff just for the fun of it. It was awful nice of Steve to even want to pay their bills. Darry never wanted to whup the kindness out of the kid. The knot in his stomach over how he was gonna pay the bills was gone, but it was replaced by a bigger worry that he'd punished his brother unfairly. He'd never felt this way about a punishment before. Sure, sometimes he worried that he was too harsh, and he certainly hated spanking his brothers, but he had never doubted that the kid over his knee had deserved to be there. </p><p>Darry's decided to go outside to clear his head as Two-Bit and Soda pulled into the driveway. They were both laughing about something but stopped abruptly when they saw Darry's face. </p><p>"What's wrong?" Soda asked, "Is somebody hurt?"</p><p>"No, nobody's hurt," Darry said, "Steve and I just kinda had an altercation." He quickly recounted the story to both boys as they listened intently.</p><p>"I'll talk to Steve before he gets himself all worked up," Soda said as Darry finished his story, "See if I can coax him out here so y'all can talk."</p>
<hr/><p>"Your brother's an asshole," Steve said as Sodapop came in the room.</p><p>"Sometimes, yeah," Soda shrugged, "Scoot over." Steve was laying face down so he wiggled himself over to make room for Soda on the bed. </p><p>"He tell you that he whupped my ass for no good reason? And that he's gonna whup me again tonight for not going to get the paddle?" </p><p>"He told me that he whupped you for swiping stuff from the department store."</p><p>"Did he bother to tell you why I did it?" Steve said, his voice raising. Of course Darry would leave out that part.</p><p>"Yeah, he told me."</p><p>"Then why aren't you pissed at him?" </p><p>"Because I kinda get why he did it. It was awful nice of you and all but it was also really risky. And you already know how Darry feels about us stealing. He practically whipped our asses right off when we did that before," Soda replied</p><p>"I can't believe you're taking his side!"</p><p>"I'm not taking anybody's side. I just know that I sure as hell wouldn't want Ponyboy to risk getting arrested, even if it was for me."</p><p>"What's that got to do with me?" Steve grumbled.</p><p>"Are you stupid?" Soda asked, shooting him a look, "Darry thinks of you the same way I think of Ponyboy. He doesn't want nothing bad happening to you. You're his kid brother."</p><p>"He still should've appreciated what I did for him instead of lecturing me about stealing to solve my problems. I was solving his problems! It's not like the department store was gonna miss the stuff I stole. No harm no foul."</p><p>"Oh, you know Darry. He's all about keeping us safe and making sure we grow up to be law abiding citizens and all that shit."</p><p>"Still didn't need to whup me."</p><p>"Jesus, Steve. You're whining more than Pony about this. He's usually the one griping to me about Darry spanking his butt."</p><p>"Don't compare me to the little twerp," Steve said, rolling his eyes. He'd beat the tar out of anyone outside the gang calling Ponyboy names, but the brat was his kid brother, so it was okay.</p><p>"I will when you stop complaining and go out there and make up with Darry."</p><p>"Fat chance." Steve said, needing more time to feel sorry for himself, "He cares more about the department store losing a few bucks than me saving the day." </p><p>"That's not true and you know it. Now, I don't feel like moping here in the room with you all day," Soda sighed, getting up, "Darry's a hardass sometimes, but it's only 'cause he wants us to be safe. I know deep down you know that."</p><p>"Whatever."</p><p>"God, you and Pony really are the same. So much smarter than me but yet you can't see the shit that's right in front of you."</p><p>"Say that again and I'll kick your ass," Steve said. He didn't need to specify if he was talking about Soda comparing him to Ponyboy and putting himself down. Soda would know he meant both.  </p><p>"You'll have to come out to do that," Soda said with a smirk before waltzing right out of the room, closing the door to avoid the pillow that Steve threw at his head. </p>
<hr/><p>"He still mad?" Darry asked when Sodapop joined them on the porch.</p><p>"A little. But he'll get over it."  </p><p>"I was just reminding Darry that your old man would've whupped the bejeezus out of Steve," Two-Bit said, "I would know."</p><p>"That's different though. You swiped that watch 'cause you were bored. You knew it was wrong. Steve was trying to do right by us and didn't think I'd be upset."</p><p>"Dar, it's fine," Soda assured, "Just when you talk to him, make sure he knows that you were upset about the trouble he could've gotten into with the law. I don't think he gets that's why you're upset. He thinks you care about the department store more than him. " </p><p>"Like I give two shits about the store," Darry said, "I care about the kid not getting arrested or turning to a life of crime because stealing was just too tempting."</p><p>"Yeah, you went on and on to me about 'self preservation' when you were whaling on me for this," Two-Bit added.</p><p>"I was whaling on you for being a smart ass in the manager's office," Darry said, "I may have laid it on too thick with Steve about stealing being wrong, but didn't really explain why."</p><p>"You'll get it straight with him when he does decide to come out," Soda said, "But maybe you can call off the extra spanking tonight as a peace offering?" </p><p>Darry's stomach dropped. "Oh Jesus, I forgot about that. What was I thinking? I fucked this whole situation up."</p><p>"Dar, it's fine. You didn't fuck anything up," Two-Bit grinned, "Trust me. I would tell you if you did. I love it when you're wrong about stuff."</p><p>"Gee thanks," Darry said, but it did actually make him feel better. For Two-Bit to say that Darry was in the right about this meant something. Two-Bit was always whining that Darry was too strict. "Maybe you can talk some sense into Steve."</p><p>"Speak of the devil," Two-Bit laughed when the front door creaked open and out came Steve. </p><p>"Hey, kiddo," Darry said. </p><p>"Hey," Steve said quietly.</p><p>"C'mon Two-Bit, lemme show you that...uh...thing," Soda said, very subtly and both boys retreated inside. Darry looked at Steve as the kid stood awkwardly beside him. </p><p>"You wanna talk?" Darry asked. Steve nodded and gingerly sat himself down on the bench Two-Bit and Soda had vacated. </p><p>"Soda said I was being a baby about this," Steve confessed, after a few minutes of awkward silence. </p><p>"He did?" That didn't really sound like Soda.</p><p>"Well, he said I was acting like Ponyboy." Darry had to chuckle. Of course Steve would make that leap.</p><p>"You weren't being a baby. I didn't explain very well to you why I was upset. I couldn't care less about the department store losing out on some money. What I care about is you. I don't want you getting arrested or getting in the habit of stealing. That could really mess up your future. I'm sorry I didn't explain that before."</p><p>"Yeah, Soda said the same thing, but I didn't really believe him," Steve shrugged, fiddling with the bottom of his t-shirt.</p><p>"I don't tell you enough, but you're a really good kid. Not many teenagers would go out of their way to pay their friends bills. Hell, not many adults would do that. But I don't want you risking your neck to help us out. If push came to shove, I would've pawned the TV or something. Not being able to watch TV for a while would be a hell of a lot better than having to come visit you in jail. I love you too much to let that happen."</p><p>"I'm sorry, Dar," Steve choked out, and Darry realized that the kid was crying. Swiftly, Darry pulled the kid up and into his arms, giving him the hug he had refused earlier.</p><p>"Shh, you're okay," Darry said, reassuring the Steve as if the kid had just gotten off his knee. Steve continued to cry into his shoulder and Darry let him. He never wanted the kid to be upset, but he was glad that Steve had gotten the message. Better a sore ass and some tears now than 90 days in the cooler later. </p><p>"You still gonna spank me tonight?" Steve whined into Darry's shoulder. Darry had to hold back a chuckle. Now Steve really sounded like Ponyboy. </p><p>"Tell you what, we'll take care of it right now," Darry said. He held Steve tighter with one arm and used his other to give the kid two firm pats to his backside. </p><p>"That's it?" Steve asked as Darry let him go. </p><p>"I'm giving you a pass since I didn't explain to you why I was upset before I started punishing," Darry said, "I'll try not to do that again."</p><p>"Do I get to paddle you then?" Steve asked and Darry grinned, knowing his smart ass little brother was back.</p><p>"You really wanna set a precedent of using the paddle every time someone makes a mistake."</p><p>"No sir," Steve said hurriedly and Darry ruffled his hair. He hadn't bothered to comb it back into its usual complicated swirls after the spanking. </p><p>"Keep being a good kid but no more putting your ass on the line, okay?"</p><p>"'Kay," Steve replied.</p><p>"Let's go inside and see Two-Bit and Soda WHO ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT EAVESDROPPING BECAUSE IF THEY WERE I'D HAVE TO WHUP SOME BEHINDS," Darry said, raising his voice to make sure the two heard him. Unsurprisingly, he heard the resulting scuffle as the two boys in question rushed away from the door. Darry threw his arm around Steve's shoulder and lead them inside to where Two-Bit and Sodapop were trying way too hard to act casual.</p><p>He took a seat on the far side of the couch and let Steve make the decision of what to do next. As if nothing had happened between them, Steve stretched out and put his head in Darry's lap. Darry smiled and smoothed back the kid's hair. It felt like a gut-punch when Steve wouldn't let Darry comfort him, and the older boy was glad to be able to do it now. </p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Double Trouble</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to Kenzi600 for the prompt!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Shepard?" Dally called, letting himself into the Tim's house.</p><p>"In here," Curly replied, laying on the couch watching TV.</p><p>"Wrong Shepard. Where's your brother?"</p><p>"Out."</p><p>"You're real helpful, you know that?" Dally grumbled, plopping down in the armchair. Tim's kid brother could be a little shit sometimes.</p><p>"So I've been told," Curly said, "You're gonna have to get in line though. Tim's supposed to take me to the store. I'm grounded or whatever and he won't let me go anywhere without him."</p><p>"Screw Tim. Let's go. We'll be back before he gets home," Dally said, grinning at the look of shock on Curly's face. He and the kid didn't always get along, so this had to come as a surprise to Curly. </p><p>"Really?" </p><p>"Yeah, there's nothing I like more than pissing your big brother off." And boy would this piss Tim off. They hadn't had a good scrap between them in a while.</p><p>"Lemme get my Ma's keys," Curly said, practically bouncing off to find them. Soon enough, they were in the car with Curly in the driver's seat, peeling out of the driveway, narrowly missing the mailbox. Curly was a truly terrible driver, but so was Dally so he didn't mind. They ran the errand Curly needed to, picking a new pair of jeans from the discount store to replace the ones Curly tore by trying to to hop a fence. </p><p>"Lemme drive back," Dally said.</p><p>"Do you even have a real license?" Curly asked.</p><p>Dally glared at the younger boy."Do you?" </p><p>"Yeah, Tim made me get it."</p><p>"Tim's a narc," Dally said, "Gimme the keys."</p><p>Curly shrugged and handed over the keys. Dally managed to make it back to the Shepards' house, only being honked at twice. </p><p>"Fuck," Curly swore as they pulled into the driveway and Tim's car was sitting in the driveway. The kid started bouncing his leg nervously. Curly's anxiety must have rubbed off on Dallas because he was no longer looking for a fight and just wanted to get the hell out of there. </p><p>"Curly Shepard, where the fuck have you been?"</p><p>"Calm down, Timmy. You were late and I needed to go to the store." </p><p>"You're fucking grounded!" Tim spat before turning to Dally, "And what about you? Stealing my Ma's car?"</p><p>"I didn't steal the car," Dally said, rolling his eyes, "Curly got the keys. I just drove it home."</p><p>"You don't have a license," Tim growled. </p><p>"Who gives a shit?"</p><p>"I do, when you're driving my Ma's car with my kid brother in tow."</p><p>"God, you're such a buzzkill," Curly said.</p><p>"I wouldn't be calling me names if I were you, considering that I'm about to take my belt to you. Go inside, Curls. I'll be in to beat your ass after I'm done kicking his," Tim said, cocking his head toward Dallas.</p><p>"Whatever," Dally frowned. He'd been spoiling for a fight, but now he wasn't so sure.</p><p>"What's wrong with you?" Tim asked,  "You're always looking for a fight."</p><p>"Maybe you could just call Darry instead?" Dally said, biting his lip, "I know you have some kinda deal."</p><p>"Deal?" Tim asked, looking confused.</p><p>"About handling your own men."</p><p>"You mean Darry whups you?" Tim asked surprised, "I mean, I know how he deals with his boys, but I always thought you were too wild for that."</p><p>"Yeah, well if I show up with my face busted to bits, he's gonna find out what happened and whip me anyway. I might as well skip the busted face."</p><p>"And skip the chance to bust my face?"</p><p>"I'm pretty sure I'll get my ass beat harder if I try to fight with you and not let him handle it," Dally confessed. And if Tim managed to really hurt him, Darry wouldn't punish him right away, and having to wait for it would really suck. </p><p>Tim nodded and walked toward the house, calling inside, "Curly, go get the belt and get in the car. We're taking a ride."</p><p>"Fuck you, Tim," Curly yelled back. Dally watched as Tim stomped inside and waited for the ensuing commotion. It wasn't long before he heard the sound of smacks being dealt out and Curly yelling before Tim dragged Curly out by the ear, a belt in his other hand.</p><p>"C'mon, get in," Tim said to both boys, "We're heading to the Curtis house. Y'all wanna screw around together, you might as well get your asses whipped together." Tim continued to pull Curly along until he reached the car, throwing him in the back seat. Dally knew he was pushing his luck that Tim hadn't decked him already, so he slid into the passenger seat of Tim's car without a word. </p><p>Tim gripped the steering wheel tightly while Curly sulked and Dally watched the two of them warily. The seventeen year old was not loving that Tim seemed to want him and Curly to get punished together. He'd probably die if Darry tried to put him over his knee in front of Tim and Curly. And if Darry wanted to beat his bare ass? Dally shuddered at the thought. </p><p>Soon enough, they were pulling into the driveway. Dally didn't know whether to be nervous or relieved that Darry's truck was there. He sure didn't want Tim driving them all over creation looking for Darry.</p><p>"Hey Tim," Darry said as he came out of the house to greet them. He must've noticed the belt in Tim's hand as his face changed to concern. </p><p>"My dipshit brother and your dipshit brother have gotten themselves into trouble together. I was gonna beat yours's head in, but he asked me to bring him here instead."</p><p>"Alright, come inside," Darry sighed. The other three followed him inside and Darry pointed to the couch, "Dallas, Curly, sit."</p><p>Curly looked at Darry with a murderous expression but when Tim took half a step toward him, Curly dropped down on the couch. </p><p>"What happened?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Curly's grounded but these two fuckers decided to take my Ma's car out for a spin. Dally was driving when they got back."</p><p>"Okay, and?" Darry said, looking confused, "Breaking his grounding sounds like an issue for you and Curly to handle." Oh shit, Dally had forgotten that he'd lied to Darry about having a license. Maybe he should've just had it out with Tim instead.</p><p>"You don't care that Dally was driving without a license?"</p><p>"Dallas has a license," Darry said confusedly, looking at the boy for confirmation. When Dally said nothing, Darry roared, "YOU LIED TO ME ABOUT HAVING A LICENSE?"</p><p>"Technically, I didn't lie. I have a license, just not a real one." Before he could blink, Darry had hauled him to his feet and popped his ass twice.  Dally wanted to smack the smug look off Tim's face as he automatically put his hands back to cover his ass. </p><p>"Let's talk outside," Darry said to Tim, "Both of you, stay here."</p>
<hr/><p>"I may just have to kill that boy," Darry said, pacing on the front porch, "He knows better than to lie to me about something like this."</p><p>"Does he though?" Tim asked, "No matter how many times I take a belt to Curly, he still lies his ass off. "</p><p>Darry thought Dallas was a hell of a lot smarter than Curly, but he wasn't gonna say that to Tim. There were pretty even odds that Tim would snort and agree or crack Darry in the jaw. "What're you planning on doing to him for this little stunt?" </p><p>"Same thing I always do," Tim replied, "Wrestle him to the ground and beat his ass."</p><p>Darry nodded. He couldn't imagine pinning any of his boys down and whaling on them, but Tim and Curly had an unusual relationship. </p><p>"What're you gonna do to Dally?"</p><p>"Well, right now I'm ready to pop him in the mouth, but when I cool off, I'll probably put him over my knee." Darry said, watching for any sign that Tim was gonna make jokes at Dally's expense. Whether it was because he was scared of Darry or because he was too focused on Curly, Tim didn't say a word about it. </p><p>"I can't believe you didn't know that Dal's license was fake. It lists his age as 21."</p><p>"Yeah, I knew he had the fake one. I just didn't know he didn't have a real--" Darry was cut off by a loud bang coming from inside. Both of them looked at each other before heading inside to see Dally and Curly brawling on the living room floor. Tim grabbed the back of Curly's hair and yanked him up to stand while Darry hauled Dallas up by the bicep.</p><p>"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Darry hollered, "You're already in a world of trouble and now instead of sitting on the couch like you were told, you're beating the crap out of each other."</p><p>"Brat was whining that I made him come along. I didn't make him do shit."</p><p>"Oh, fuck you! It was your idea. You just wanted to piss Tim off!"</p><p>"Enough," Darry barked, turning to Tim. "How do you wanna handle this?" </p><p>"Your house, your rules," Tim shrugged.</p><p>"Alright," Darry said, turning Dally to the side and tugging down his pants a bit in the back before delivering four good wallops to the seat of the kid's briefs. He raised an eyebrow at Tim to see if he would follow his lead. Darry was surprised when Tim shoved Curly forward toward him. Guess Tim was all in for this 'your house, your rules' thing. Before the kid could start to struggle, Darry grabbed Curly and locked him under his arm and yanked the back of his pants down, giving him the same four pops. </p><p>"No fighting in my house," Darry ordered, letting Curly go. "Dallas, go to my room and find yourself a corner. I'll be there in a minute."</p><p>"Aw, did Daddy give you a time out?" Curly snarled. Dally took a step toward Curly before Darry yanked him back.</p><p>"Go." Darry ordered, sending Dally off to the bedroom with a smack before turning to Tim, "Get your fucking kid under control."</p><p>"With pleasure," Tim said and Darry turned toward the kitchen in search of the paddle. Other than Johnny, Dally was the only one of the boys who hadn't felt the paddle. Dally's screw ups tended to be so over the line that Darry felt he needed to use the belt, as much as he hated it. Today's incident hadn't been all that bad in the grand scheme of things Dally had done, but he didn't want the kid thinking it was okay to lie to him. </p><p>As Darry passed back through the living room on the way to his bedroom, he saw Tim had Curly pinned down on the couch with a knee in his back and was wailing on the kid's bare ass. He watched for a second to make sure Tim wasn't actually hurting Curly. After he was confident that, despite  the hollering back and forth the two were doing, Tim was calm and in control, Darry made his way into the bedroom. </p><p>"Did you really have to send me to the corner in front of them?" Dally said, spinning around and glaring at Darry.</p><p>"I don't remember saying you could turn around," Darry said calmly. Dally huffed but turned back around, kicking the wall as he did so. Darry hadn't planned to make the kid stand in the corner after he entered the room, but then Dally had decided to try to end his sentence on his own terms. Darry decided to add another five minutes before beating the kid's butt. </p><p>"Alright, come over here," Darry said, freeing Dally from the corner. "Since you lied to me about it, I take it you know that you shouldn't be driving without a license?" </p><p>"Yeah, man," Dally replied, apparently subdued for now. </p><p>"It's Curly's fault he broke his grounding, so I'm not going to punish you for it, but I don't like you encouraging him to do it. If you do that with any of our boys, you'll be in trouble. Savvy?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Alright, I'm gonna paddle you for driving without a license and lying to me. I'm also gonna have you practice driving later today and tomorrow before I take you for the test."</p><p>"You're gonna make me drive after you beat my ass?" </p><p>"Yep," Darry replied, "I'm not giving you the belt so you won't be too sore to focus on the road, but a little sting is part of your punishment.</p><p>"That's bullshit," Dally muttered.</p><p>"One," Darry said, smacking the side of Dally's leg, "Just because Tim lets Curly swear at him, doesn't mean you're allowed to. Now, take your pants down and bend over my knee."</p>
<hr/><p>Dally didn't say anything else, just pushed his jeans off and climbed over Darry's lap. He tried to ignore the fact that he was bending over for a whupping without putting up even a bit of a fight. As soon as Dally was settled, Darry tugged his briefs down to mid thigh and snapped the paddle down with no warning. It took Dally by surprise and he let out a gasp. He usually tried to stay as stoic as possible, but after he'd cried into Darry's shoulder the last time he'd been whupped, a few gasps and hisses weren't all that bad. He knew Darry had no problem with him making a little noise to while he was getting whomped, as long as he didn't swear or give lip.</p><p>"You need to stop risking trouble with the law," Darry lectured over the sound of the paddle, "If you'd gotten busted, you'd be sent back to reform school. I know you know that."</p><p>"Yeah, I know," Dally muttered. The thin piece of wood stung as it fell over and over against his ass. Dally resolved to light it on fire next time Darry's back was turned.</p><p>"No more lying to me and sneaking around behind my back. Next time I'll wash your mouth out before I skin you."</p><p>"Yessir." Dally didn't much like calling Darry 'sir' but it just kinda slipped out. Darry didn't respond, just kept smacking Dally's ass for what felt like hours. Dally was at least glad Darry wasn't belting him. He could hear Tim whaling on Curly from the next room and Curly's hollers. The kid was cussing up a storm, calling Tim an asshole, a bastard, and anything else he could think of. Dally felt like cussing Darry out while he was getting whupped sometimes, but he knew he would just end up sitting at the kitchen table writing Darry an essay with a sore butt and sore legs. No, instead he just laid over Darry's lap and felt sorry for himself.</p><p>"I know you're probably regretting having Tim bring you here, but you made the right choice," Darry said, "You'd be looking at the belt if you decided to scrap with Tim instead of coming to me." Dally knew that was true, but he didn't have to like it. Although the paddle didn't have the same bite as the belt, Darry was strong and each pop stung like hell. Darry was a high school jock and it showed. Just one more reason Dally hated jocks. </p><p>"I fucking hate you," Curly yelled from the other room and Dally heard the belt come down harder than before.</p><p>"Tim's got his hands full with that one. He'll be lucky to just keep the kid alive," Darry said, pausing the whupping so he could speak quietly to Dally, "I want more for you than just being alive. You're smarter than Curly. You can be something in life if you use your head and keep yourself out of trouble."</p><p>"Yessir," Dally said, not surprised to hear the wetness in his voice. Darry wanted him to be better and Dally wanted to be better. He didn't want to be Curly Shepard. Didn't want to be a young hood who would grow up to be an old hood. Tim would probably turn out okay and maybe he would drag Curly along with him, but Dally didn't want to be dragged along in life. He'd never admit it, but he wanted, <em>needed, </em>Darry to teach him how to be a good man.</p><p>Darry resumed the paddling and Dally fought the urge to squirm around. He kicked his legs a few times when Darry landed the paddle on his thighs, but otherwise stayed still. As his ass got hotter, be wanted to throw his hand back, but he knew from the boys that that was a good way to get your hand smacked, either accidentally with the paddle or intentionally with Darry's hand. The paddle sure stung like hell and he now understand why the boys were always griping about it. </p><p>"Okay, we're done," Darry said finally, squeezing the back of Dally's neck gently. Dally wiped his tears back up as he stood up off Darry's lap. He wasn't all out bawling, so he didn't feel the need to stick around over Darry's knee to calm down first. Dally pulled his jeans back up and looked at Darry. He didn't know if he had it in him to ask for comfort and was hoping Darry would just hug him anyway. Thankfully, Darry held out his arms. "C'mere, kid."</p><p>"Sorry," Dally muttered as Darry pulled him close. Dally was almost as tall as his big brother, but Darry still had a lot of bulk to him that made him seem bigger. The kid melted into Darry's strong arms.</p><p>"You're forgiven. We all make mistakes," Darry said, "What's important is that we learn from them. Tim's probably gonna have to keep beating Curly's ass for the same thing for him to learn, but you seem to learn your lesson a lot faster." Dally smiled a little bit at that. He hadn't gotten a whole lot of praise in his life, so it meant a lot when Darry said things like that.</p><p>"It's a little too quiet. We better make sure Shepard didn't kill the kid." Dally said with a grin, pulling away from Darry after a moment. It seemed that the pair in the living room were also done as Dally didn't hear the belt anymore. Darry grinned back at him and they made their way into the living room.</p><p>"Oh Jesus Lord," Dally said when he entered the living room to see Curly's red ass still over the couch and Tim holding him down.</p><p>"He's in time out till he can apologize to me properly." Dally snorted. He was glad that Darry sent him to the corner instead of doing that. Damn, Dally never thought he'd be glad that he sometimes got sent to the corner. </p><p>"Damnit, fine, I'm sorry!" Curly said, obviously mortified at Dally and Darry seeing him like that.</p><p>"Sorry for what?" Tim asked, slapping the kid's ass with his hand.</p><p>"For breaking my grounding and letting Dally drive us even though I knew he didn't have a license!"</p><p>"Finally," Tim said, taking his knee off Curly's back and letting him up. Curly shot up and pulled his jeans back up. God, and Dally thought Darry was tough. At least he never held him down for a beating. Tim turned to Dally and extended a hand, "No hard feelings?" </p><p>"Nah, no hard feelings," Dally said, shaking Tim's hand, "But I'll break your face if you tell anyone about this."</p><p>"So will I," Darry said from behind him.</p><p>"I ain't telling no one," Tim scowled, "Curly, get in the car. I got shit to do."</p><p>"Damnit Tim, my ass is practically bleeding. I can't sit in the car," Curly whined. Dally smirked. Curly's butt was red but it certainly wasn't bleeding. It wasn't even any redder than Dally's was when Darry last belted him.</p><p>"Alright, walk home then," Tim shrugged.</p><p>"Fine, I'm coming," Curly muttered.</p><p>"We're going to DQ on the way home if y'all wanna come," Tim said, and Curly's face lit up. Dally was conflicted. He could go for a burger and a milkshake, but he knew Darry would make him drive there and, like Curly, he didn't want to sit on his sore butt right away.</p><p>"Sounds like a great idea," Darry said, and Dally winced, "Dally can start practicing driving the truck on the way." </p><p>"Bastard," Dally muttered, "You're paying."</p><p>"Fair enough," Darry grinned, clapping Dally on the shoulder. Dally wasn't exactly looking forward to driving on a freshly whipped ass, but the Dairy Queen wasn't that far away and at least he was back in his brother's good graces. For now.</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Not Like Your Dad</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Based on a prompt from remolacharoja</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey Ponyboy," Steve said, grinning at the boy as he entered the bowling alley. The seventeen year old was there hanging out with his girlfriend. </p><p>"Oh, hey, man," Pony replied. If Steve didn't know any better, he'd say the kid was acting a little sheepish. </p><p>"Johnny here too?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Nah, I'm meeting this girl from school," Pony said, blushing.</p><p>"Aw, baby Curtis finally has a date," Steve said, pinching the boy's cheek. He loved to embarrass his kid brother. "I'm surprised Soda wasn't bragging about it all day."</p><p>"Uh, he doesn't know. I'm supposed to be studying for the math test I have tomorrow. Please don't tell him I was here."</p><p>Ah, so that explained the sheepishness. "I won't, but you owe me. And you better get your butt home. You know Darry'll skin you if he hears you snuck out." </p><p>"I can't go home!" Pony exclaimed, "Susie'll think I stood her up."</p><p>"I'll give her the message when she arrives," Steve said, "Actually on second thought, I'll drive you home. Don't want you walking alone. Bad enough you walked all the way here by yourself."</p><p>"I didn't walk," Pony said.</p><p>Steve was puzzled. If Darry didn't drop him off and he didn't walk, how did he get there? Steve felt his stomach drop. "Ponyboy Michael, did you hitchhike here?"</p><p>"Um maybe?" Pony said, phrasing it as a question.</p><p>"Try that again," Steve barked. When Pony didn't answer, Steve reached out and twisted his ear. </p><p>"Ah yes, I hitchhiked," Pony admitted, "Can you let go of my ear now?"</p><p>"Not a chance," Steve said, before turning to Evie, "I'm really sorry about this, baby, but we gotta go. I gotta take this brat home and tan his behind."</p><p>"Stop, you're embarrassing me!" Ponyboy complained, flushing bright red at Steve announcing he was gonna get spanked.</p><p>"Kathy and Sharon just walked in so I'll catch a ride home with them," Evie smiled, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss her boyfriend, "You're a good big brother."</p><p>"Thanks, babe. You're the best," Steve replied, kissing her once more without ever letting go of Ponyboy's ear.</p><p>"Good luck, Ponyboy," Evie said, giving him a sympathetic look before leaving to find her friends. Steve pulled Ponyboy toward the door by the ear.</p><p>"Ponyboy?" A female voice asked and both boys stopped dead in their tracks.</p><p>"H-hey Susie," Ponyboy said. Steve decided to show mercy and release the kid momentarily. </p><p>"Ponyboy here has got himself into a bit of trouble and has to go home," Steve explained.</p><p>"I'm real sorry, Susie," Ponyboy said, "Can we go out another night?"</p><p>"Sure, but uh, do you think your friend could give me a ride home? My sister drove me here but she's not supposed to come back for a few hours."</p><p>"Yeah, sure, c'mon," Steve said, giving the young girl a nod. He walked them both back to the car, holding the passenger side door open for Susie and gesturing for Ponyboy to get in the back. Pony glared at him but obeyed.</p><p>"I'm sorry Steve's being such a jerk about this," Pony muttered as they pulled out of the parking lot, Susie giving Steve directions to her house.</p><p>"And I'm sorry Pony's being a little brat," Steve said.</p><p>"Not being a brat!" Pony complained.</p><p>"No comments from the peanut gallery," Steve said, glaring at Ponyboy in the rearview mirror. Pony grumbled under his breath but didn't say anything else. Trying to lighten the tension, Steve made small talk with Susie until they finally, mercifully, pulled up to her place. Steve turned his head and looked at Pony expectantly</p><p>"What?" Ponyboy muttered, arms crossed.</p><p>"Are you stupid? Go walk her up to the door," Steve ordered, unbelieving that he even had to explain this to the kid. He thought that Soda would've taught the kid better. Pony rolled his eyes at Steve but got out and opened the car door for Susie. Despite having needed to be prompted, Ponyboy obviously made use of the opportunity to walk the girl to the door. The two stayed chatting until Steve stuck his head out of the car window and cleared his throat. Pony gave the girl a quick peck on the cheek before scurrying back to the car. Steve would've been proud of his kid brother if he wasn't so goddamn pissed. </p>
<hr/><p>Ponyboy thought the ride from the bowling alley to Susie's house was awful, but the trip back to his house was even worse. Steve made him sit in the backseat and lectured him the whole way home, barking at him to shut his mouth every time he tried to defend himself. </p><p>"Steve! What're you doing?" Pony whined as the older boy yanked him out of the car and dragged him inside. </p><p>"Giving you a whupping for hitchhiking and then acting like a brat about it," Steve growled.</p><p>"You're such a hypocrite! You and Soda hitchhike all the time. I've even hitchhiked with you!" Ponyboy cried.</p><p>"Did you even listen to anything I said in the car?" Steve asked, "You don't fucking hitchhike alone. Are you even carrying a blade?"</p><p>"No, but--"</p><p>"Stupid fuckin' kid," Steve said, pulling Ponyboy along into the kitchen. Pony balked when he saw Steve grab the wooden spoon. Steve was mad. Like Darry level mad. Pony was afraid Steve might whup his butt right off. Steve had popped him before, but never given him a full spanking, so Ponyboy had no idea what to expect.</p><p>Soon enough, he found himself ass up over Steve's knee, his pants and underwear down at his knees. Glancing down, he saw Steve had propped his foot on the kitchen chair. Pony normally hated when Darry spanked him this way, but this was even worse than usual. Darry always kept an arm wrapped firmly around his waist, but Steve just had a loose hold on Pony's t-shirt. </p><p>"Heyy," Pony whined when Steve popped him hard, "You're not supposed to start out with the spoon!"</p><p>"Yeah, and you're not supposed to hitchhike alone," Steve said, bringing the spoon down with more of a snap. Ponyboy squirmed in response to the sting but had to hold onto Steve's leg for dear life. Knowing anything he said would make Steve hit even harder he tried to stay quiet. Steve kept smacking him with the spoon with the same strength and speed as one of the worst spankings Darry had given Ponyboy, but at least then he was over Darry's lap on his bed, not dangling in the air. When Steve started smacking him hard on the lower part of his ass, Ponyboy couldn't help but lurch forward with every swat, his upper body hanging more and more off Steve's knee.</p><p>"Stop! I'm gonna fall!" Ponyboy wailed.</p><p>"Quit whining. You ain't gonna fall," Steve scoffed, continuing to spank. Ponyboy didn't know if he'd ever felt so miserable during a punishment. His ass was stinging bad and he was practically dangling face first in midair. He was crying freely now and didn't have it in him to hold on quite so tight. After a good smack to his thigh, Ponyboy was rocked so far forward that he fell right off Steve's knee.</p><p>"Owwww," Ponyboy said, luckily managing to turn his body so he fell on his side instead of his head. The hard linoleum was not forgiving.</p><p>"Oh my God, Ponyboy, are you okay?" Steve said, his tone changing quickly from angry to horrified. He squatted down to help the boy up, but Ponyboy pushed him away.</p><p>"Don't freaking touch me!" Ponyboy yelled, pushing himself to his feet. His pants and underwear had long since fallen off, so he yanked the bottom of his already too long shirt down to cover himself and ran off to his room.</p><p>"Ponyboy, I didn't mean to--" Steve called after him, but Pony ignored him, slamming the door behind him. The fall didn't hurt that much, his butt was stinging more than his side, but he was pissed. He'd told Steve he was gonna fall and then he did! Darry spanked Ponyboy more than the kid thought was necessary but at least he'd never dropped him. </p><p>"Go away!" Ponyboy said, wiping at his tears, as he heard a knock on the door. </p><p>"I have some ice for your side or your butt or whatever," Steve said, "I'll just leave it outside your door."  Ponyboy didn't respond, but waited until he was sure Steve had walked away to grab the ice. Putting it onto his still bare butt, Ponyboy buried his head into the pillow. He really wished Darry and Sodapop were home right now. All he wanted was to sit on Soda's lap while Darry took Steve out to the garage and strapped him. He hated Steve Randle.</p>
<hr/><p>Steve didn't think he'd ever felt so guilty in his life. He'd lost his temper and let Ponyboy get hurt because of it. He was no different than his old man. Pony had even warned him that he was gonna fall, but Steve had been too stubborn to listen. He'd thought the kid was just whining to get out of his punishment. God, Darry was gonna kick his ass and Steve wouldn't even fight him. He deserved everything Darry could dish out and more. </p><p>Not really knowing what else to do, Steve walked over to the corner of the room and stuck his nose in it. He could at least start his penance before Darry got home, whenever that would be. Normally waiting in the corner for a licking was about the worst thing Steve could imagine. It gave him time to think of all the cruel and unusual ways Darry could punish him. But this time imagining the tanning he was gonna get was almost comforting. Sure, it was terrifying, but it would at least resolve his guilt.</p><p>"Pony, we're back," Soda called as he and Darry entered the house, before presumably stopping short at Steve standing in the corner.</p><p>"What happened?" Darry sighed.</p><p>"You should go check on Pony," Steve said, unsurprised that his voice wobbled, "I'm sure he'll tell you what I did."</p><p>"Soda, go check on Pony," Darry ordered, "Steve, come sit on the couch with me."</p><p>"Yessir," Steve sighed, unwilling to push Darry on anything that night.</p><p>"Alright, out with it," Darry said, forgoing his usual armchair to sit next to Steve on the couch. Steve hesitated studying his feet until Darry squeezed his knee. "C'mon kid, whatever it was couldn't be as bad as you're thinking." </p><p>Steve disagreed. "I hurt Ponyboy."</p><p>"You two were fighting again?"</p><p>"No, I had him over my knee and wasn't holding onto him good. He fell off and hit the floor," Steve said, "He told me he was gonna fall and I didn't listen to him and just kept spanking him and now he's gonna hate me and ---"</p><p>"Woah, woah, slow down," Darry said, "Start from the beginning and tell me why you were spanking him."</p><p>Steve forced himself to take a few deep breaths before spilling the story to Darry. He thought for sure Darry was gonna start hollering at him or just throw him out, but the older boy just nodded and listened solemnly.</p><p>"Okay, so if I have this straight, Ponyboy snuck out and hitchhiked, and then gave you lip when you brought him home. You lost your temper and spanked him without calming down first and that ended up with Ponyboy accidentally getting dropped."</p><p>"It wasn't an accident," Steve said, the guilt building as Darry repeated the story.</p><p>"So you shoved Ponyboy off your knee and onto the floor?" Darry asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"No!" Steve cried, hurt that Darry would even think that, "I just wasn't holding him good enough."</p><p>"So it was an accident then," Darry said softly, "An accident that wouldn't have happened if you'd taken the time to properly calm down, but still, an accident."</p><p>"I guess so," Steve said. Accident or not, he still felt shitty about the whole thing.</p><p>"Look, kid, you lost your temper. It's not the end of the world. I've done it too and Soda's whupped me for it, just like I'm gonna whup you. If I thought you actually wanted to hurt Ponyboy, this would be a different conversation, but that's not what happened here. Do you get that?" </p><p>"Yessir," Steve said, still thinking he deserved just about any punishment Darry could give out. </p><p>"I want you to go wait in my room for me," Darry said, "I'm gonna check on Pony and then I'll be in to spank you."</p><p>"Should I go get the strap?" Steve asked solemnly. He'd had it once when he got arrested the first time. He knew his own father wouldn't pick him up, so he'd called Mr. C.</p><p>"No," Darry said, looking at him curiously, "I think it's only fitting that the spoon and your backside get reacquainted."  </p>
<hr/><p>Ponyboy was curled up on the bed in Soda's arms, probably milking his big brother's sympathy more than he'd like to admit.</p><p>"Can I come in?" Darry asked, rapping his knuckles on the door and sticking his head through the doorway. Ponyboy knew Darry was making an effort to be gentle with him.</p><p>"Uh huh," Ponyboy said, still pouting a little. Honestly, his feelings were hurt more than his side was. Darry picked Ponyboy up and plopped him down on his lap, wrapping his strong arms around the kid.</p><p>"You wanna tell me what happened tonight?" Darry asked, rubbing Pony's arm.</p><p>"Uh, Steve got really mad at me and decided to whup me and did it like you sometimes do with your leg propped up on a chair. Except Steve wasn't really holding onto me and even though I told him I was gonna fall, he just let me dangle there until I eventually did fall."</p><p>"And what'd you do to make Steve so mad at you?" Darry asked, his voice hardening. Ponyboy buried his face into Darry's t-shirt in order to avoid answering the question.</p><p>"C'mon Dar, hasn't he been through enough tonight without you hollering at him too?" Soda complained.</p><p>"I ain't hollering at him," Darry replied, "I just gotta know the whole story before I do anything else."</p><p>"I hitchhiked to the bowling alley," Ponyboy mumbled, deciding to rip the bandaid off and tell Darry.</p><p>"Ponyboy, I want you to answer me honestly," Darry said, "Were you being mouthy to Steve I'm not gonna punish you for it either way, but I wanna get a sense of what happened."</p><p>Ponyboy knew the answer to the question, but he still debated what to say. He was still pretty upset with Steve and if Pony said he wasn't being mouthy, Steve would probably get whupped harder. But Darry somehow always knew when he was lying, so Ponyboy settled on the truth, "Yeah, I didn't wanna leave and I was fighting him on it."</p><p>"Thank you for your honesty," Darry said, squeezing Pony a little tighter before letting him go, "Can you stand up and show me your side? I wanna make sure you're not too hurt."</p><p>"He's okay. I already checked," Soda said.</p><p>"Humor me, would ya?" Darry replied. Ponyboy obediently climbed off Darry's lap and pulled his shirt up on the side. Now that both his brothers felt the need to check his injuries, he was glad he put underwear on after his butt cooled off a little. His side wasn't too bad, no signs of bruising, and only a few spots were sore when Darry prodded. His shoulder was a little red in one place, indicating a bruise would form, but all in all it wasn't that bad. Ponyboy had been hurt more just wrestling with his brothers. He blushed when Darry pulled the waistband of his briefs to check the damage there. That was by far the sorest part on him, but he'd had worse.</p><p>"You'll survive," Darry said, letting go of Pony's underwear and returning the boy to his lap, "I know he hurt your feelings and your side, but do you know why Steve was so upset with you?"</p><p>"Yeah, 'cause I hitchhiked alone," Ponyboy said, hoping Darry wouldn't holler at him for it.</p><p>"And you snuck out," Darry said sternly. </p><p>"Steve wasn't so mad about that," Ponyboy shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah, well I'm not too happy about it," Darry replied, "For the next month, you ain't going anywhere besides school unless I give you permission and one of the boys is there to watch over you."</p><p>"Darry--" Soda started to argue.</p><p>"No, Soda," Darry said sharply, "Hitchhiking and sneaking out are serious. I'm not whupping his behind because I know he's a little shook up and Steve already skinned him, but he has to learn. I don't want him thinking just 'cause Steve screwed up that he didn't screw up as well."</p><p>"I already know I screwed up," Ponyboy muttered, uncomfortable that they were talking about him like he wasn't in the room.</p><p>"Consider it reinforcement then," Darry said, "'Cause if you do this again, my belt is gonna have a long conversation with your butt. Savy?"</p><p>"Yeah, I got it," Pony said into Darry's chest. Darry was always threatening him with a whipping, but had never gave him one. Pony was pretty sure he'd gotten away with just a spanking for stuff the older boys had gotten the belt for when they were his age, but he wasn't complaining. Darry seemed to be even taking the older boys to the garage less, preferring to paddle them over his knee instead. Pony thought the paddle hurt plenty and had no desire to find out what the belt felt like.</p><p>"You done lecturing him?" Soda asked, sounding annoyed.</p><p>"Watch your tone, little buddy," Darry scolded, "I'm about at my limit with misbehaving teenagers tonight."</p><p>"Sorry," Soda mumbled, but Pony could tell he didn't really mean it.</p><p>"You gonna be alright if I leave you with Sodapop?" Darry asked, "I gotta go deal with Steve."</p><p>"Yeah," Pony replied, getting up off Darry's lap. </p><p>"C'mon, honey, let's go see if we have any ice cream," Soda said, flashing Ponyboy a grin. At least one brother was sympathetic to his plight.</p><p>"You spoil him," Darry said, but with a little grin so Ponyboy knew he wasn't really mad.</p>
<hr/><p>Steve sat on Darry's bed, nervously waiting for his big brother to come in. He'd already kicked off his sneakers and unbuttoned his pants, not wanting to delay the inevitable. He could hear the Curtis brothers talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. It was probably for the best. Steve knew they were just talking about how much of a dick he was. </p><p>He heard the door open and the voices get louder as the boys made their way into the hallway. Steve's heart sped up. Darry had said he wasn't using the strap, but Steve knew from experience that Darry could bring him to tears with just the wooden spoon. He only hoped Darry wouldn't break the damn thing over his behind. Well, he deserved it if he did.</p><p>Darry silently came into the room, spoon in hand, and studied Steve for a moment. Steve squirmed under his brother's gaze and hoped Darry would start whaling on him already.</p><p>"I bet you're already feeling pretty sorry about what happened tonight, huh?" Darry asked, standing in front of Steve.</p><p>"So, so sorry," Steve agreed, "I'd understand if you never forgave me for this."</p><p>"Of course I'm gonna forgive you," Darry said, "You're gonna have one heck of a sore butt and you're grounded for a while, but that don't mean you ain't gonna be forgiven."</p><p>"But how can you possibly forgive me? I acted just like my old man. No, worse. I acted like Johnny's old man," Steve choked out. He couldn't stop picturing how Johnny looked after his father had clobbered him. Not just the bruises, but the scared look in his eyes. He never wanted to make Ponyboy feel like that.</p><p>"Steve, answer me this, why were you spanking Pony?" Darry asked, "Was it because he spilled your beer? Forgot to take the trash out?"</p><p>"No," Steve said, confused. "It was because he hitchhiked alone."</p><p>"And why did that make you so mad? Was it because you had a bad shift? Because you drank too much? Because you had a fight with Evie and decided to take it out on him?"</p><p>"Of course not! I would never," Steve exclaimed, hurt that Darry would think that, "It was because he could've gotten hurt and he didn't seem to care."</p><p>"Exactly," Darry said, "You were mad because you love him and don't want to see him get hurt. You're nothing like Johnny's dad. And I know you're gonna apologize to him and learn from your mistakes, so you're nothing like your Dad either."</p><p>"I guess so," Steve said, feeling a little bit better after Darry's explanation, but still not believing it.</p><p>"I think you'll feel better after you've been punished," Darry said, gesturing for Steve to stand up.</p><p>"Uh, I don't think I should go over your lap," Steve said as Darry took a seat on the bed. Darry sent him a stern look at Steve quickly amended his statement, "No, I mean, I know I deserve a whupping, but I think maybe you should have me in a less steady position. Y'know, like I had Ponyboy."</p><p>"You're a little too big to dangle off my knee," Darry said and Steve nodded. He'd been over Darry's raised leg plenty of times, but it was always with his feet on the ground, partially supporting his own weight. Darry looked at him for a moment. "I have an idea. Wait here."</p><p>Steve stood in the middle of Darry's room, waiting for whatever Darry was doing. Steve was regretting his request already. What was Darry gonna do, tie him upside down by his ankles? Darry came back in a minute later with a tall stool from the garage. He grabbed a few pillows from the bed and plopped them on the stool. "Take your pants and underwear down and lay over that."</p><p>Steve gulped but did what he was told. He was tall enough that his feet still remained on the ground when he rested his torso on the seat, but his feet came off the ground when Darry shifted him forward so that his lower torso and butt were high in the air It wasn't the most comfortable position, but he figured Ponyboy hadn't been too comfortable either. He gripped the bottom bar for stability.</p><p>"You ready, kid?" Darry asked, using one hand to hold Steve's hip steady. Steve didn't know if he deserved that, but he knew Darry didn't want him to actually fall.</p><p>"Yessir," Steve said and braced himself for the spoon. To his surprise, he felt Darry's hand smack down first. The sound of hand against ass filled the small bedroom.</p><p>"Why are you getting this spanking, Steve?" Darry asked, just as the kid's butt was starting to sting.</p><p>"Spanking Ponyboy when I was still real mad and letting him fall because I wasn't holding him good," Steve replied.</p><p>"What're gonna do next time he acts up? Or Johnny for that matter?"</p><p>"Don't worry, I'm not handing out any more whuppings," Steve said sincerely. He couldn't even imagine spanking Johnny.</p><p>"You don't have to if you're not comfortable with it, but I'm not saying you can't. You're well within your rights as a big brother to hand out a good kick in the ass if needed. I trust that from now on you won't punish in anger."</p><p>"Yessir," Steve said, sore but touched that Darry still trusted him to discipline his kid brothers. He certainly didn't want to, but Darry was right. They all needed a good kick in the ass every now and then and it wasn't fair for Darry and Soda to have to do it all the time.</p><p>"You remember the last time I was really mad at something you did and how I punished you?" Darry asked, continuing to spank.</p><p>"Yeah," Steve said, not liking that Darry was making him talk so much during a whupping, "It was a couple weeks ago when Pony was studying for that oral exam and Two-Bit and I taught him the...uh...other meaning of the word and then he told a bunch of his classmates. You made us all stand in the corner and then washed our mouths out."</p><p>"I was about ready to shove that bar of soap down your throat. I made you stand in the corner so I could cool off before disciplining you," Darry said, "I know Ponyboy gets bratty when he's nervous about being in trouble. If you're finding yourself getting mad, stick him in the corner or send him to his room or something. Don't give him more than a swat or two while you're still angry."</p><p>"Yessir," Steve said. Darry started slapping his thighs and Steve felt another pang of guilt. It was a smack to the thigh that rocked Ponyboy right off Steve knee and onto the floor.</p><p>"You made a mistake and you're being punished for it. You're not a monster. You're not Johnny's dad. You're not your dad," Darry said, his words comforting but his palm still landing firmly, "You get that?"</p><p>Steve didn't answer. He knew he couldn't answer honestly and give Darry the answer he wanted to hear.</p><p>"Don't you remember Ponyboy basically pulled the same thing, put himself in danger and gave me lip, and I smacked him across the face? Does that make me like Johnny's dad?"</p><p>"'Course not," Steve sniffled, "You were just scared."</p><p>"And so were you. We all make mistakes but we learn from them and we move on. You rarely make the same mistake twice. That's what makes you not like your Dad." Darry said. Steve nodded, finally feeling some of the guilt lift.  Ponyboy had forgiven Darry for slapping him and so maybe he could forgive Steve too. Steve felt Darry stop smacking and pat his lower back. "I'm gonna paddle you with the spoon as a reminder not to do this again and to knock all the remaining bits of guilt out of you and then we'll be done."</p><p>"Yessir," Steve agreed, wanting this to be over. Darry seemed to have said all he needed to because he spanked silently with the spoon. Steve was pretty sure Darry was swinging harder than usual, but considering it was the lightest thing Darry typically used, other than his hand, Steve understood. Darry was always careful to make sure they won't hurt. At the worst, Steve had had some faint purple and yellow spots at the bottom of his butt after a belt licking, but that was it. The spoon stung like hell, but Steve knew he'd be fine in a day or two.  He felt himself start crying, which surprisingly felt good, purging all the guilt he'd been holding on to. Everything from his ass to half way to his knees was stinging, but he felt a hell of a lot lighter. As he cried out a mixture of guilt and pain, the spoon came down hard across his thighs a few times before it finally stopped falling. Steve could feel Darry's hand rubbing his back. </p><p>"C'mon kid, let's get you up," Darry said, taking hold of Steve's bicep and pulling him up, "Don't want you to start to get dizzy." Steve kicked off his jeans and eased his underwear up onto his swollen ass. He turned around to face Darry and practically fell into Darry's chest when the older boy opened his arms for a hug. </p><p>"You think he's ever gonna forgive me?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Apologize and give him space if he needs it," Darry advised, "He'll come around eventually."</p>
<hr/><p>Soda and Ponyboy were sitting on the couch eating ice cream. Well, Soda was sitting, Ponyboy was kinda half laying half kneeling. He was careful not to spill any ice cream on the couch, not wanting to hear about it from Darry. They both tried to watch TV, but the sound of Darry spanking Steve kinda drowned out the TV. Ponyboy thought Steve deserved it, but the longer it went on, the harder it was for Ponyboy to stay mad. When they came out, Steve looked pretty pathetic. His hair was messed up, his face blotchy and his eyes red. He wasn't wearing any pants and was palming at his ass. </p><p>"Hey, kid," Steve said, "I don't expect you to forgive me right away, but I'm really sorry about losing my temper and hurting you. Darry whupped me good."</p><p>"You deserved it," Ponyboy said, seeing how Steve would react.</p><p>"Yeah, I did," Steve agreed.</p><p>"And he's also grounded to our place or your house for a month, with a few exceptions," Darry added. Steve looked surprised but nodded.</p><p>"Darry, that's way too long!" Soda argued. Pony humphed a little. He wanted Soda defending him, not Steve.</p><p>"You didn't hear the exceptions," Darry said, "Ponyboy isn't allowed out without someone watching him for the next month. So for the next month, if Ponyboy wants to go somewhere, you can volunteer to be his babysitter."  </p><p>"I don't need a babysitter," Pony argued.</p><p>"Just think of Steve as your chauffer," Soda laughed, "That way if me and Darry are working, you can still go places. And Stevie can't complain about you tagging along with us because that's the only way he can go out."</p><p>"I'll take you anywhere you need to go," Steve promised, "It'll be my way of making it up to you. And you won't have to go out and hitchhike and try to make my hair turn gray."</p><p>"I am sorry I scared ya," Ponyboy admitted sheepishly. </p><p>"Forgiven," Steve said, "You think you can ever forgive me?"</p><p>"Yeah, but you better not drop me again."</p><p>"I won't."</p><p>"Alright you two, hug and make up," Soda said with a grin. At Soda's nudging, Ponyboy stood up, feeling awkward. Hugging wasn't something that he and Steve did. Steve apparently didn't feel as awkward, wrapping Ponyboy in a bearhug before plopping down in Darry's armchair and pulling Ponyboy to sit on his lap. This was certainly new. Steve's butt must've been hurting, but apparently he didn't care.</p><p>"You gonna start being all nice to me and stuff now?" Ponyboy asked suspiciously.</p><p>"Not a chance," Steve replied, but he squeezed the boy a little bit, "With the smarts you got and those Curtis looks you're gonna grow up to have, you need someone ragging on you, or else your head might get too big and explode."</p><p>"Jerk," Ponyboy said, not really meaning it. That was probably the nicest thing Steve had ever said about him. And, if he was being honest, he'd be pretty freaked out if Steve was suddenly being nice to him all the time. He really wanted to hold a grudge against Steve but he couldn't. Steve was a jackass sometimes, but he was Sodapop's best buddy, and more importantly, he was Pony's big brother. </p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Mind your Ma</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks to the anon who requested Two-Bit getting to three! And shout out to Purplemist1345 for the inspiration to add Two-Bit's sister to one of my stories.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was 7AM on a Friday and Darry was unsuccessfully trying to get everyone up and moving for the day. Ponyboy was hogging the shower and Soda seemed intent on making the most elaborate breakfast possible. Steve was passed out on the couch after being kicked out yet again. All Darry wanted was to drink a cup of coffee before he had to leave for work. Wishful thinking.</p><p>“Hello?” Darry answered when the phone rang, hoping it was nobody important.</p><p>“Hi, Darry,” Mrs. Mathews said, sounding frustrated. Uh oh. An early morning phone call from Mrs. Mathews could only mean one thing: Two-Bit had done something. “I’m so sorry to call you, but well, I really need Two-Bit to get up and go to school today and he's refusing. His history teacher said he can’t pass the class if he doesn’t take this test.”</p><p>“He hungover?” Darry asked.</p><p>“I'd reckon so,” Mrs. Mathews replies, “I’ve been trying to get him up for over an hour now and I finally threatened to call you. Usually he wisens up when I do that, but not today.”</p><p>“Did you try smacking his backside a couple times?” Darry asked, knowing what he would do.</p><p>“I popped him once with my sandal but he just grunted and rolled over before I could smack him again.”</p><p>Darry shook his head. If the kid had tried that for him, Darry would have yanked him out of bed and lit his ass up. Considering Mrs. Mathews probably weighed 90 pounds soaking wet, she didn’t have that option. “Can you put the phone to his ear?”</p><p>“Yeah, just a sec,” Mrs. Mathew said. Darry could hear her picking up the phone base and taking it into another room.</p><p>“Keith Edward, what’s this I hear about you not minding your mother?” Darry said once he could hear the sound of the kid breathing.</p><p>“Trying to sleep,” Two-Bit muttered.</p><p>“You should’ve been sleeping last night instead of getting wasted,” Darry scolded, “I’m gonna give you to the count of three or you’ll be going to school with a sore backside. One.”</p><p>Two-Bit muttered something that Darry couldn’t quite make out but was almost certainly not polite.</p><p>“Two,” Darry said firmly. He sighed as he still didn’t hear anything that would indicate Two-Bit had gotten up. “And that’s three.”</p><p>“I thought for sure that would work,” Mrs. Mathews’ came through the phone.</p><p>“Me too,” Darry said, “Lemme make sure Sodapop and Ponyboy are all set for the day and then I’ll stop by on my way to work and get him up.”</p><p>“Are you sure? I just hate that you have to go out of your way to deal with him."</p><p>"Yeah I'll be there soon," Darry said, "He knows better than to let me get to three. I'll be over in a few minutes to set him straight."</p><p>"Alright, see you then," Mrs. Mathews said. </p><p>"Two-Bit?" Soda asked, coming into the living room as Darry hung up the phone.</p><p>"Yeah, he ain't listening to his mom and I gotta go drag him out of bed. Can you make sure Ponyboy gets off to school alright? Steve can drive him if you can get him up and off the couch. " </p><p>"Sure thing," Soda replied, as Darry sat down to lace up his work boots.</p><p>"Can you also grab me the paddle?" Darry asked. Soda opened his mouth to argue but shut it and nodded. Darry knew it was instinct for Soda to try to protect his brothers, but he also knew that Two-Bit's disrespect for his mom got on Soda's nerves sometimes. Soda and their mom had been extremely close and he and Two-Bit had had several arguments over the older boy not appreciating his own mother. </p><p>"Here ya go," Soda said. Even though it wasn't going to used on him, he eyed it suspiciously like all the boys did when they were sent to fetch something to get their butts beat with.</p><p>"Thanks, little buddy," Darry said, grabbing the paddle and his work belt and heading for the door, "Have a good day at work. Stay out of trouble."</p><p>"Right back atcha'," Soda grinned. Darry rolled his eyes before leaving, watching in his peripheral vision as Soda jumped on Steve to wake him up. God willing, they'd all make it through the morning without anyone cracking their head open. </p><p>Soon enough, Darry was pulling up outside the Mathews' house, ready to deal with Two-Bit. He grabbed the paddle, hoping he wouldn't have to use it but wanting the option if need be. Walking inside, he saw Two-Bit's crap strewn pretty much everywhere in the house and made a mental note to talk to the kid about that later. Getting Two-Bit to help his mom out was a constant battle. </p><p>"Morning, Mrs. Mathews," Darry said, not bothering to knock.</p><p>"Morning, Darry," the woman said, "I know you're not staying long, but can I get you some breakfast? I made some for the kids and there's plenty to go around." </p><p>"Thank you, ma'am, but no time today," Darry said politely, "I'm planning to drop Two-Bit off on my way to work so I can ensure he actually makes it inside. I'm happy to let him go to school hungry if he wants to be a brat, but if you want to pack something up for him, he can eat it in the truck."</p><p>"No sense letting it go to waste. I'll make you both a little baggy," Mrs. Mathews said.</p><p>"He still in bed, I assume?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Yep, right where I left him." Darry nodded and stalked off toward the bedroom, paddle in hand. Without announcing himself, he ripped the covers off Two-Bit and started smacking the seat of the kid's brief with his hand.</p><p>"Owwww," Two-Bit yelled sleepily.</p><p>"You know what happens when I get to three," Darry scolded, continuing to spank. He really hoped Two-Bit's kid sister, Tess, was already awake or she was about to be woken up by the smacking and hollering. </p><p>"Stoppppp," Two-Bit whined, throwing his hand back. </p><p>"Move. Your. Hand." Darry growled, spanking Two-Bit's thighs. After the kid came to his senses enough to realize that getting his bare legs spanked was worse than getting his ass spanked, he moved his hand.</p><p>"When I let you go, you're gonna get up and get ready for me to take you to school," Darry said, still slapping Two-Bit's ass, "If I hear one complaint out of you, I'm gonna bring you right back over here and paddle your behind. Understood?"</p><p>"Yeeeeeess," Two-Bit whined and Darry delivered three more hard smacks before letting the kid go.</p><p>"Get up," Darry said, crossing his arms, picking up the paddle from where he'd dropped it on the bed and tapping it against his leg.</p><p>"Oh my God, you actually brought the paddle," Two-Bit grumbled as he wriggled out of the bed, "I thought that was just a figure of speech."</p><p>"Five minutes. Let's go," Darry ordered, not giving the kid an inch. He watched as Two-Bit pulled a rumpled t-shirt off the floor, sniffed it, and decided apparently it was clean enough as he wriggled into it. Two-Bit did the same with his jeans and most disgustingly, his socks. Darry didn't even bother to comment on the kid not changing his underwear, needing to get him out the door. After a quick trip to the bathroom to grease his hair and hopefully brush his teeth, Two-Bit was about ready to go.</p><p>As Two-Bit bent over to grab his shoes and jacket, Darry suddenly had an idea. He handled the paddle to Two-Bit.</p><p>"What'd you want me to do with it?" Two-Bit asked suspiciously.</p><p>"I want you to go out there and apologize to your mom for disobeying her this morning," Darry ordered, "Then I want you to hand her the paddle and bend over for as many as she wants to give you."</p><p>"Dar!" Two-Bit complained.</p><p>"Go," Darry said, smacking Two-Bit's already stinging butt with his hand.</p><p>"Ma," Two-Bit said, looking at his mother who was sitting at the table with his nine year old sister, "I'm real sorry about this morning. Darry says I gotta let you paddle me."</p><p>"Ooh, Two-Bit's gonna get a spankin'!" Tess said, turning to Darry, "Mom's always threatening to spank him when he doesn't listen but she never does."</p><p>"But I'm sure you're much smarter and always do what you're told," Darry smiled.</p><p>"Uh huh!" Tess beamed, "I've only gotten one spanking in my whole life!"</p><p>"Wow, you're much better behaved than I was at your age. I was always getting my butt lit up. And don't even get me started on Sodapop," Darry said, winking at the little girl, causing her to giggle.</p><p>"Well, she's got Mom wrapped around her finger," Two-Bit grumbled.</p><p>"I have a feeling she's not the only one," Darry said, shifting back to disciplinarian mode.</p><p>"Got that right," Mrs. Mathews said, "Not today though. Bend over." Two-Bit handed the paddle to his mother and leaned forward, grabbing his knees. The woman gave him a firm swat that couldn't have hurt much over his jeans but probably wounded his pride a little. She kept going for five more pops and Two-Bit was smart enough to not make any jokes. </p><p>"Sorry, Ma," Two-Bit said once she was done, standing up and rubbing his ass. </p><p>"You working tonight?" Darry asked the woman.</p><p>"Yes," Mrs. Mathews sighed.</p><p>"Which means I gotta stay with old Mrs. Richards next door," Tess complained.</p><p>"Tess, be nice," her mother warned.</p><p>"Me and Two-Bit can babysit tonight," Darry offered, "Two-Bit's gonna be coming straight home after school today and do some stuff around the house, so he can get her off the bus. Him and I have some things to discuss anyway so I'll come by after my shift is over."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>"Yeah," Darry said, "I could use some time with my favorite girl.</p><p>"Yay! Can we get pizza and stay up late and watch movies?"</p><p>"I bet that can be arranged." </p><hr/><p>If he wasn't before, Two-Bit was definitely regretting disobeying his mom and Darry by the end of the school. It's not like he hadn't sat on a torn up ass before, but he usually had the night to recover at least. He vowed never to get himself spanked in the morning again. Ugh, and Darry wanted to have a <em>conversation </em>with him after school. Fuck. Darry had already lectured him the whole way to school and told him in no uncertain terms that he was to do his best on his history test. What more could the guy wanna talk about?</p><p>"Two-Bit!" Tess cheered as she got off the bus, seemingly having forgotten that Two-Bit was babysitting.</p><p>"Hey, Smalls," Two-Bit said, taking her backpack from her and slinging it over his own shoulder, "How was school?"</p><p>"Okay, but Mrs. Taylor made me stay in for recess for talking to Patty."</p><p>Two-Bit grinned. He was always being kept inside for recess for talking. And, when he was allowed out, he usually found himself staring at the wall as punishment for whatever mischief he got into. "You better not let Darry hear that. He might give you a spanking."</p><p>"Nuh uh, Darry ain't gonna spank me."</p><p>"Why not?" Two-Bit teased, "He spanks me all the time."</p><p>"Because you're aaaalways in trouble," Tess said, "Darry says I'm his favorite girl."</p><p>"We'll see about that, after today," Two-Bit said, holding back a grin, "Remember to call him 'sir' and be on your best behavior."  Tess nodded and seemed to ponder that.</p><p>"Two-Bit?" she asked after they'd walked in silence for a minute or two.</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"Does Darry spank hard?"</p><p>"Yeah, real hard. And not just with his hand. You saw the paddle this morning. That thing stings like a bitch. Oh, and make sure you don't cuss like me. Darry ain't shy about washing mouths out." Two-Bit was teasing her, but he was a little more serious about the last part. He didn't really think Darry would put a bar of soap in her mouth, but Tess didn't need to be cussing like a sailor like Two-Bit did.</p><p>"You think Darry's gonna use his paddle on me?" </p><p>No, dummy. I was just messing with you. Darry ain't gonna spank you."</p><p>"You're mean!" Tess complained, rolling her eyes and punching him on the arm. Two-Bit grabbed his arm and pretended it hurt.</p><p>"I know, I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist," Two-Bit said, "Do you think you can help your mean big brother with some of these chores Ma left for me to do? Darry said he'd whup me if I don't finish them."</p><p>"Nope, I gotta do my homework," Tess said, smirking at him.</p><p>"Homework? They giving that much homework to second graders now?"</p><p>"Hey, I'm in fourth grade and you know it!" </p><hr/><p>When Darry showed up to the Mathew's house for the second time that day, he was relieved to see that Two-Bit was at the sink doing dishes. They already had to have a conversation about what happened that morning and Darry didn't want to talk about disobedience as well.</p><p>"Hey, kids," Darry said as he made his way into the kitchen. </p><p>"H-hi," Tess said, shyly, looking up from her homework.</p><p>"Something wrong?" Darry asked, concerned. He wasn't raising her like he was Two-Bit, but he still cared about the nine-year-old.</p><p>"No sir," Tess whispered.</p><p>"She got held in for recess today for talking in class," Two-Bit explained, "She's afraid you're gonna give her a spanking."</p><p>"And just where did she get that idea?"</p><p>"I may have suggested it," Two-Bit mumbled, "But I told her that I was just kidding like a minute after."</p><p>"Corner."</p><p>"But--" </p><p>"Corner," Darry said, his voice a little sharper. Two-Bit huffed but obeyed. Darry turned to Tess. "I ain't spanking you or punishing you at all. Don't worry."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Yeah, that's up to your Mom to handle. But even if it were up to me, I think staying in for recess was enough punishment for talking in class."</p><p>"What would you do if I actually did something bad when you were watching me? I don't want a spanking with your paddle."</p><p>"Well so far, you've never misbehaved bad enough for me do to anything but tell you to knock it off so I'm not too concerned about it," Darry said, "But even if you did act up, I'd probably just put you in the corner or maybe send you to bed if you were really being bratty."</p><p>"Really? What if you told me to go to bed and I didn't listen?"</p><p>"Maybe then I'd pop your bottom and carry you to your room. But I'd let your Mom punish you after that."</p><p>"Then why are you always spanking Two-Bit?" Tess asked, glancing over at her big brother.</p><p>"Because sometimes teenage boys need more than an early bedtime to get through to their dumb heads. And Two-Bit's a lot bigger than your mom, so sometimes he needs somebody with big muscles like these to come tan his behind," Darry said, flexing his biceps.</p><p>"Is there anything I could do that would get me a spankin'?" She asked, still looking a little nervous. </p><p>"Hmm, how 'bout don't steal my truck and take it for a joy ride? Cause maybe then I'd spank ya."</p><p>"Deal!" </p><p>"Seriously though, keep being good for your Mom. Probably the only reason I'd spank you is if your mom asked me to and I don't think she'd do that unless you were real out of line and refusing to listen."</p><p>"With the paddle?"</p><p>"I wouldn't use the paddle. My folks only used that once we were 11 or 12 and really acting up. I got paddled the first time 'cause I taught Soda how to light a match and we almost lit the backyard on fire. I got my first taste of the paddle but Soda just got a spanking since he was only like seven."</p><p>"I'd never play with matches!" </p><p>"Then you ain't gonna need a paddling from me," Darry replied, "But your big brother's not as good at behaving as you are so I gotta have a conversation with him. I want you to stay out here, okay?"</p><p>"Kay," Tess responded, sounding much more reassured than when Darry first walked in.</p><p>"Good girl. Keith, with me," Darry said, hardening his voice. He led Two-Bit into the bedroom, snapped his fingers and pointed to the bed. "You take your test?"</p><p>"Yeah," Two-Bit muttered.</p><p>"How'd it go?"</p><p>"Would've gone better if my ass wasn't stinging when I took it."</p><p>"Watch it," Darry said, crossing his arms. "You go to the rest of your classes?"</p><p>"Yeah, except gym. I had a feeling Mr. Miller wouldn't 'my big brother went neanderthal on my ass' as an excuse and I wasn't about to run the track with red legs. I've got a reputation to protect."</p><p>"Fair enough," Darry snorted. He would've liked to skip gym too after the times his dad whupped him in high school, but unfortunately the gym teacher was also his football coach. Coach had a strict code of conduct for his players and skipping class would've meant a choice between sitting the next game out or a few swats with the paddle. </p><p>"So since you agree that you already went all neanderthal on my ass, what'd'ya say we put this behind us?"</p><p>"Nice try, but we still gotta talk about disrespecting your mom. This morning was just for letting me get to three. I'm gonna let picking on your sister slide because I know you're usually good to Tess, but I can't say the same about they way you treat your mom."</p><p>"I know, Dar, I'm gonna listen and help more around the house. Swear it," Two-Bit replied.</p><p>"I've heard that before. This better be the one and only time your mom has to call me over to deal with you. If she tells you to do something, you do it. Understood?"</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit said.</p><p>"Alright, I'm gonna reheat your ass a little and then you and me are gonna sit down and write a list of chores that you are gonna take over doing for your mom."</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Two-Bit said. Darry was surprised that Two-Bit didn't argue with that.</p><p>"Pull your jeans down and c'mere," Darry said, taking a seat on Two-Bit's bed and beckoning the kid forward. Two-Bit shucked his jeans clean off and bent over Darry's knee. Darry pulled Two-Bit's briefs down and surveyed the damage from earlier. Two-Bit's butt and legs were still pink, so Darry knew it wouldn't take much to get the teen's ass stinging again. He delivered a firm whap to the backside over his knee.</p><hr/><p>Two-Bit was not loving the feeling of getting his ass beat for the second time in one day, but he didn't feel the urge to bargain with Darry as much as usual. Doing chores that afternoon gave him a newfound respect for all his mom did around the house. Sure, it wasn't as well kept as the Curtis house when Mrs. C was alive, but Mrs. C had help from Mr. C and the boys. Darry and Sodapop and Ponyboy were never allowed to go out and play until their chores were done. And the boys never would've ignored what Mrs. C said. The Curtis parents weren't all that strict but they didn't put up with disobedience. Hell, Two-Bit had always listened to them more than he did his own Ma. Mrs. C swung a mean wooden spoon.</p><p>"Your mom is not here to be your maid. You need to help around the house and treat her with the respect she deserves," Darry scolded, his palm continuing to fall. Two-Bit hated to admit it, but Darry was right; he needed to treat his mom a little better. She did a lot for him and he didn't do nothing but give her lip in response. He tried to remember that as the sting built up on his ass, making him feel like he just sat on hot coals.</p><p>"Sorry! I'll listen and do chores and not even complain about them!" Two-Bit assured as his ass got hotter. He wanted to throw his hand back but he remembered what happened that morning when he did that. Sore legs were not something he wanted to add to his current misfortune.</p><p>"Damn right you will," Darry replied, "Because otherwise you're gonna be feeling my belt and I know you don't want that."</p><p>"No sir!" Two-Bit sniffled.</p><p>"Just because you can charm your mom into letting you get away with things, doesn't mean you should. You're better than that. I know you are."</p><p>"Yessir! I'll be better to my mom!" Two-Bit really meant that, although he and Darry both knew he would promise just about anything to get off Darry's knee. He felt a series of sharp smacks pepper his upper thighs before Darry mercifully stopped.</p><p>"Okay, kid, we're done," Darry said, ending the short spanking. Two-Bit wiped the moisture from his eyes as Darry pulled his underwear back up. Hopping off Darry's lap, he started to rub his burning ass, jumping around a little to relieve the sting.</p><p>"How come you're always nicer to Tess than you are to me?" Two-Bit joked, making a dramatic pout.</p><p>"Hmm, maybe 'cause she's nine, and despite how you act most of the time, you're not," Darry shot back, pulling Two-Bit into a hug. </p><p>"You weren't that nice to me when I was nine"</p><p>"When you were nine, I was twelve."</p><p>"Still..."</p><p>"C'mon, knucklehead, let's get that chore list written and then I'll be nice to you." Darry said, squeezing him tight before letting him go. As they left the bedroom, Two-Bit saw that Tess was sitting at the table drawing in her sketchbook. The chair next to hers had a throw pillow on it.</p><p>"Thanks, squirt," Two-Bit said, flashing her a grin before turning to Darry. "Can I?"</p><p>"Go ahead," Darry said and Two-Bit eased himself gently on the cushion. It wasn't totally comfortable, but it was a hell of a lot better than sitting on a hard wooden chair. Darry handed him a notepad and pen and sat down at the table beside him. "So, Tess, what jobs do you think Two-Bit can do around the house for your mom?"</p><p>"Mom's always asking him to mow the lawn, even though he never does it."</p><p>"Tattletale," Two-Bit said, but he didn't really mean it.</p><p>"Write it down," Darry ordered.</p><p>"Tess shouldn't get to contribute. She doesn't do any chores, neither."</p><p>"Nuh uh!" Tess argued. "I always set the table when Mom asks! And I help put away the groceries too!"</p><p>"Why don't you show your big brother how it's done and write down the stuff you do around the house?" Darry suggested, gesturing to her sketchbook, "And maybe you could even write down something new you're gonna do to help your mom? I bet she'd be pretty grateful. </p><p>"Alright," Tess said, sounding a little hesitant at the task but obeying. She was much better behaved than Two-Bit, but like any kid, she wasn't about to volunteer to do any extra chores.</p><p>Ten minutes later, both Mathews kids had their own list. Two-Bit's was pretty short to begin with, but Darry made some 'suggestions' that Two-Bit knew better than to argue with. Darry made both of them add 'clean up after yourself' to the list and Two-Bit cracked a joke about Darry not even managing to get Pony and Sodapop to do that, earning him a smack to the back of the head that didn't actually hurt. Once they were done, Tess eagerly taped them up to the fridge.</p><p></p><div class="row">
  <p></p>
  <div class="column">
    <p>
      <span class="u">Two-Bit</span>
    </p>
    <p>Mow the lawn</p>
    <p>Do the dishes</p>
    <p>Take out the trash</p>
    <p>Clean the bathroom</p>
    <p>Grocery shopping when asked</p>
    <p>Vacuum </p>
    <p>Clean up after yourself</p>
    <p>Babysit Tess 2x per week</p>
  </div>
  <div class="column">
    <p>
      <span class="u">Tess</span>
    </p>
    <p>Set/clear the table before meals</p>
    <p>Help put away groceries</p>
    <p>Fold the laundry</p>
    <p>Clean up after yourself</p>
  </div>
</div><p>Two-Bit wanted to grumble that his list was twice as long as his sisters but he knew Darry just repeat the whole him not being nine thing again, and maybe pop him to help the message set in. No, Two-Bit was just eager to get up off the chair, even if it meant Darry was gonna make him start doing chores again. He just had one that he felt like he needed to do first. He picked up the pen again and starting writing. </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Dear Ma,</p>
  <p>Sorry about how I acted this morning and also just all the time. You deserve a son who helps around the house and isn't a lazy bum. I'm gonna try harder to be that. Plus, I'm the man of the house and I gotta show Tess how men are supposed to treat women. I know I'm gonna keep messing up and need you to yell at me sometimes, but I'm gonna try to do better. You ain't gonna ever have to call Darry again to get me to do something, and not just because I know he'd tear me up, but because you deserve to have me listen to you. You're a real cool mom (even if Sodapop's a better cook than you).</p>
  <p>Love,</p>
  <p>Two-Bit</p>
</blockquote>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Make it Right</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Based on prompts from Ellio and Miku2011!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Johnny was in over his head. Way over his head. The stupid Soc had taunted him about being a wimp and Johnny had just lost it. He did the one thing he could to prove that he wasn't a wimp. He clocked the guy right in the jaw.</p><p>Unfortunately, the senior had six inches and fifty pounds on the scrawny freshman. Still, Johnny was scrappy and got a few good hits before shit really started to hit the fan. The Soc kneed Johnny in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him gasping for air. Johnny thought for a terrible second that the older boy just might kill him before he saw a familiar figure enter the alley. Dally grabbed the guy by the collar, spinning him around and giving him a punch to the stomach that sent him flying and landing on his back.</p><p>"You picked the wrong kid to fuck with," Dally said, grabbing his blade and advancing toward the Soc.</p><p>"Dal, wait!" Johnny cried before Dally could slice the guy up, "Just let him go. I hit him first."</p><p>"You what?!" Dally yelled, turning to Johnny.</p><p>"I hit him first," Johnny said, watching the Soc scurry away.</p><p>"Are you fuckin' brain dead?" Dally hollered, grabbing Johnny by the front of the shirt, "That guy coulda ate you for breakfast."</p><p>Johnny flinched and braced himself, waiting for Dally to backhand him. He was surprised when he felt Dally let go of his t-shirt. After a few second, he risked peeking out of one eye to see Dally a few steps back, clearly trying to control his temper.</p><p>"Dal?" Johnny ventured.</p><p>"No, shut up," Dally said, "I don't wanna here a fuckin' word til we get to the house. Let's go." He took Johnny by the upper arm, walking fast enough that Johnny had to jog a little to keep up. Johnny didn't know what he was more afraid of in that moment: Dally's anger or Darry finding out and whupping his behind. Dally was known for his hot temper, but Johnny really wasn't sure where the anger was coming from this time. He knew why Darry would be pissed, but not Dal. Dally was always getting into fights. Whether the guy was three or eight feet tall never really seemed to matter to Dal.</p><p>Both Steve and Two-Bit's cars were in the driveway alongside Darry's truck. Johnny groaned internally at them all being there for the spanking he was sure to get from Darry. He knew that Darry would take Johnny into the bedroom--he didn't give out more than just a quick reminder in front of everyone-- but they'd all still hear.</p><p>"Get your ass inside and tell Darry what you did," Dally said, shoving Johnny toward the house, "I gotta take a walk and calm down."</p><p>Johnny watched Dally walk away for a second before he risked calling after him, "I know you're mad at me, but don't hurt anybody, okay?"</p><p>Dally turned back around and Johnny swore the older boy lost some of his anger, "Okay, kid."</p><hr/><p>Dally took a long walk, determined to stay away until he no longer wanted to shake the kid until his teeth rattled. Johnny was always getting beaten up by his old man, but now he was out looking for someone else to beat him up? Jesus Christ. The kid was gonna get himself killed. That was, if Dally didn't just kill him first. </p><p>He considered just staying away for the rest of the day and coming back once Johnny had been dealt with. That way Dally wouldn't have to listen to Darry spank the kid and they could all just move on. No, he had to go back and get his two-cents in.</p><p>When he finally was in control of himself, Dally walked back into the Curtis house to find only Johnny and Darry there. Darry must've sent the other boys away. Johnny was sitting in a kitchen chair, facing the corner, holding an ice pack to his cheek where the Soc had gotten him. Darry was reading the paper in the same room as Johnny, but had the TV on softly.</p><p>"Johnny told me what happened," Darry said, looking up at Dally, who nodded, "Let's go talk in my room. Johnny, holler or come get me if you need something."</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny said softly.</p><p>"I don't much like making him wait for a punishment, knowing how spooked he gets. Left the TV on so he at least has something to listen to," Darry said and Dally remembered just how good Darry was to Johnny. He might drag Ponyboy into his room by the ear and holler at him to stay there, but he was soft with Johnny. Hell, they were all soft with Johnny. "He said the Soc was calling him names and he lost it and socked the kid. That about what he told you?"</p><p>"Didn't tell me why he started it, but yeah, I knew threw the first punch. He tell you the guy was probably 6'1" and 200lbs?"</p><p>"Yeah, and I'm not real pleased with him about it."</p><p>"Me neither," Dally replied.</p><p>"What'd'ya think he deserves for this?" Darry asked.</p><p>Dally looked at him in surprise. Darry never asked for advice when it came to punishments, except maybe from Sodapop. No, he was usually hollering at them to stop butting their noses in. Dally contemplated the question for a second, before giving the honest answer. "I think he needs to get his ass whupped."</p><p>"I do too," Darry said, "And I think you should be the one to do it."</p><p>"What?!" Dally exclaimed. He couldn't give Johnny a whupping. He felt a strong sense of deja vu from the last time they'd had a conversation like this. That time, Darry was trying to get Dally to fess up to something. This time it looked like the guy was serious.</p><p>"Look, kid, I'm not gonna beat around the bush here. I'm afraid if you're not the one to spank him, he's not gonna take it as seriously. You, more than anyone else in the gang, are willing to pick fights with guys that are bigger than you. I'm partially to blame for that, since I didn't call you out on it earlier, but fair warning, your free pass is over. I'll whup you, same as Johnny."</p><p>Damnit, they were supposed to be talking about Johnny's bad choices, not his! "But what about my temper? I could really hurt him."</p><p>"You won't," Darry snorted, "I've seen you lose your temper with just about everyone but never him. Johnny's your soft spot and you know it. Besides, weren't you and Two-Bit saying not too long ago that you wanted to step up more?"</p><p>"Yeah, but I was talking more about giving out a smack on the ass instead of upside the head. And honestly, I was thinking more about Ponyboy 'cause he was the one being a brat that day and he's usually more of a little shit than Johnny."</p><p>"Watch it," Darry said firmly, "I'm not gonna make you spank him, but I think you'll regret it if you don't and he goes out and does this again. "</p><p>Fuck, Darry was right. Dally had set a bad example and now he needed to be the one to make it right. "Fine, I'll do it. But you gotta be in the room to stop me if I go too far."</p><p>"If it'll make you feel better, I will," Darry said, "But I trust you not to go too far."</p><p>Dally nodded. If only he could trust himself.</p><hr/><p>Johnny wasn't sure what was gonna happen next and he didn't like it. Dally and Darry had left the room a few minutes before, leaving Johnny alone with his thoughts and his slightly swollen face. Luckily (or unluckily), the older boys didn't talk for long. When they came out,  Johnny felt Darry gently pull the icepack away from his face and press around the jaw and eye socket</p><p>"You'll live," Darry said softly, giving Johnny a small smile. "Come sit on the couch." </p><p>"Yessir."</p><p>"Hey kid," Dally said as Johnny sat on the couch next to him. Johnny was looked relieved to see that Dally didn't seem mad anymore. Dally was mad all the time, but rarely at Johnny. </p><p>"I'm gonna cut to the chase," Darry began, and Johnny didn't like the sound of that, "We've talked about this over and over again, but you still don't take your own safety seriously. A fair fight is one thing, but it sounds like this guy could've eaten you alive."</p><p>"Damn right he could've," Dally growled and Johnny shrunk away.</p><p>"We're only upset with you because we love you," Darry reassured, squeezing Johnny's shoulder, "which is why Dally's gonna spank you."</p><p>Johnny's eyes went wide at that. Dally had never even popped him, except that time that he slept out in the lot, and that felt more like payback than actual discipline. </p><p>"I know you were following my lead, decking that guy, so I gotta be the one to make it right," Dally explained.</p><p>"Dal ain't gonna be doin' that shit no more," Darry said firmly, "Or he's gonna get his butt tanned, same as you."  Johnny's face heated up at that, more embarrassed for Dally's sake than his own. Johnny didn't have a lot of pride around the gang, but Dally still tried to maintain his swagger.</p><p>"But Darry's gonna stay here and make sure everything goes smooth," Dally said, "I ain't looking to lose my head and hurt you."</p><p>"You won't," Johnny said, meaning it. </p><p>"No, he won't," Darry confirmed, "So it's time to stop talking about it and get this over with."</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny mumbled, waiting for further direction. It seemed to take Dally a minute to realize that he was supposed to be the one to give the instructions.</p><p>"Okay, uh, I guess, pull your jeans down," Dally ordered, looking at Darry for confirmation. Johnny knew it was coming eventually so he stood up and tried to take his pants down. His hands were on the button of his jeans but he couldn't quite will himself to take them off. The newness of the situation was unnerving.</p><p>"I usually help him out," Darry said quietly. Dally took his suggestions and pushed Johnny's hands away, awkwardly unbuttoning the kid's pants himself. The jeans were too loose, a hand-me-down from Steve, so they immediately fell down to his ankles. Johnny flushed at standing there in his briefs in front of his two big brothers. After a second's pause, Dally started to pull Johnny over his lap, shifting him around a bit till his ass was over Dally's right knee. His underwear soon came down and he was ready to just get this over with.</p><p>"I don't really wanna do this, but I'd rather kick your ass here than have some Soc do it on the street. You hear me?"</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny replied. Wow, that was new. Johnny only used that title for Darry and occasionally Sodapop. And Two-Bit once. Dally didn't say anything, just started spanking. The smacks weren't as strong as Darry's, but Dally's hand was bony, making each slap a little sharper than it would be otherwise.</p><p>"I should start making you wear a football helmet when you go out," Dally lectured, "Make sure you don't get your head bashed in if you're gonna be going around asking for it."</p><p>"Not like I got any brains worth protecting." Johnny muttered into Dally's leg, yelping as Dally's hand came down hard on his thigh in response.</p><p>"Say that again, I fuckin' dare you," Dally snarled. Johnny heard Darry clear his throat in warning. Darry never cussed at him or even really scolded him like that. He'd heard Darry threatening the older boys. Last week, he'd told Two-Bit, "I'm gonna ram my boot so far up your ass your nose will bleed." He wasn't shy about threatening Ponyboy either, although that was usually more direct, like saying "do that and your ass'll be over my knee before you can blink." Darry usually only gave Johnny a raised eyebrow and even that was few and far between. In a way it was good. His parents were always threatening him and cussing him out and he didn't need Darry doing it too. But it did make him worry that Darry thought he was weak. Like he was made of glass or something. </p><p>"Johnny, stop biting your lip," Darry ordered gently, after a minute of spanking. Johnny hadn't realized he was doing it. He never tried to hold back tears when Darry spanked him, but he wanted to prove to Dally that he wasn't the meek kid that they all took him for.</p><p>"The fuck you biting your lip for?" Dally scolded, "Ain't like we've never see you cry before."  And that was exactly the problem. Johnny didn't want them seeing him as some bawl-baby. </p><p>"We know you gotta be tough at home, but you don't gotta here. I thought you knew that," Darry said softly.</p><p>"I do!" Johnny assured, "I just don't need to be bawling like a kid. It's just a spanking and I'm sixteen."</p><p>"Johnnykid, I'm 21 and I cried the last time Soda whupped me."</p><p>"Yeah, but that was with the strap!" Johnny argued. Pony had told him all about how Soda gave Darry a licking. "And Dally never cries! Ever!"</p><hr/><p>Dally felt like he'd just been sucker punched. Did Johnny really think that?  "Man, I cry like a little girl almost every time Darry whups me."</p><p>"Really?" Johnny asked, turning his head around to look at Dally. </p><p>"Haven't you seen my eyes being all red and shit?"</p><p>"Once, but I kinda thought you'd been smoking grass again," Johnny replied, a look of horror coming across his face as he realized what he'd revealed. </p><p>"You been smoking grass?" Darry asked, sounding stern but not angry.</p><p>"Just once," Dally said. He'd kick the shit out of anyone else who revealed something like that to Darry, but he knew Johnny hadn't meant to say anything.</p><p>"Yeah, okay, we'll talk about it later," Darry said, "Point is that Dally and I cry over when we're getting skinned just like you do."</p><p>"Yep, so go ahead and cry because you've still got some spanking to go," Dally said, forcing himself to continue slapping Johnny's backside, "I know you wanna be hard, but it's not worth it. Not if it means getting your head kicked in by random Socs." </p><p>"I'm sorry!" Johnny whined at the smacks, sounding teary now.</p><p>"You better be!" Dally scolded. "We are NOT losing you because you had to prove to some Soc that you're not a wimp. You know you're not a wimp and that all that matters." With that, he moved to start spanking Johnny's legs. Johnny started wiggling them back and forth and Dally was relieved to see that Johnny wasn't forcing himself to hold still. Once he could feel the warmth coming off the kid's thighs, Dally moved back up, turning Johnny's ass from pink to red. He wanted so badly to be done, but he knew he needed to make damn sure that Johnny wouldn't do this again. So, he forced himself to keep smacking. </p><p>"Owwwww," Johnny cried at a particularly hard smack and Dally knew it was about time to wrap it up.</p><p>"No more putting yourself in danger over stupid shit," Dally scolded, smacking as hard as he could bare to, "I don't care if I have to tan your little ass everyday to get that through to you. You dig?"</p><p>"Yessir! I dig! I dig!" Johnny cried and Dally stopped spanking. The older boy didn't know what to do now and started patting the crying kid's back awkwardly. </p><p>"Uh, we're done." Dally said and Johnny scrambled off his knee. The kid stood there in only his too long t-shirt, his jeans and briefs around his ankles, rubbing his ass. Dally wanted to kick the ass of whoever made him look like that, even though he knew it was him. Darry gave Dally a pointed look and jerked his head toward Johnny. The teen knew that Darry was telling him to hug Johnny, but he couldn't will himself to do it. He knew Johnny would flinch away from him and that would absolutely kill him.</p><p>After a pause, Darry got up and wrapped Johnny a hug himself, sending an annoyed look to Dally. "Easy, Johnnykid, you're alright."</p><p>"Sorry, Darry!" Johnny sniffled.</p><p>"I know you are," Darry assured, "And I know you won't do this again. You're a good kid." Dally envied how Darry seemed to just know what to say and do. </p><p>"Can I?" Dally asked Darry, cocking his head at Johnny. Darry tried to pull away from Johnny but the kid just clung to him.</p><p>"I'm just gonna let you go so that Dally can give you a hug, okay?" Darry didn't wait for an answer, just gently pulled himself out of Johnny's grip and nudged the kid toward Dally. Dally opened his arms and Johnny fell into them, crying into Dally's chest. Dally awkwardly maneuvered them so they were sitting in the armchair, Johnny's still bare butt hanging between Dally's thighs. </p><p>"Sorry," Johnny said, wiping at his tears.</p><p>"I'm gonna go get dinner started and give y'all a minute to talk. Just holler if you need me," Darry said, retreating from the room. </p><p>"Sorry," Johnny repeated.</p><p>"Yeah, you said that," Dally replied wryly, "Just leave the stupid tough guy shit to me, okay?"</p><p>Johnny pushed himself away from Dally's chest at that. "No, you can't be doing that either. I hate it when you get tanned."</p><p>"Alright, we'll make a pact," Dally said, "We only fight people our own size."</p><p>"Deal," Johny said, climbing off Dally's lap. Dally didn't want to let go, but luckily Johnny just pulled his briefs back up and ditched his jeans before helping himself to a seat on Dally's lap again. This was new for both of them. Sometimes Johnny would nod off on Dally's shoulder when they were watching TV, but he'd never sat on his lap before. He'd seen Johnny sit on Darry's lap before after he'd been punished. Ponyboy was always getting whupped and then sitting on the lap of whoever whupped him. Or sometimes he'd sit on Soda's lap if he was sulking about a spanking that Darry gave him. Dally had even seen Two-Bit sit on Darry's lap a couple times, but always in jest, and always ended up being shoved right onto the floor in response. Dally wondered what would happen if he sat on Darry's lap next time he got a whupping. </p><p>"We allowed back in yet?" Steve asked, popping his head in the door to check if the coast was clear.</p><p>"Up to you, Johnnycake," Dally said.</p><p>"Yeah, c'mon in," Johnny said.</p><p>"Where's old Dare-bear?" Two-Bit cracked, "Did Dally take a blade to him for whupping you to hard?"</p><p>"No, Dally was the one who skinned me," Johnny replied, and a shocked silence fell over the boys.</p><p>"Aw, great, another knee to be thrown over," Ponyboy griped, and everyone laughed, even Dally.</p><p>"Yep, and if Johnny wasn't taking up my lap right now, you'd be next," Dally mock threatened.</p><p>"Don't worry, I got it," Soda quipped, pulling Ponyboy over his lap and giving him three playful whacks. Dally smirked at the scene and pulled Johnny in a little tighter. Spanking the kid nearly killed him, but he was glad to be able to hold and reassure him afterward. And since the boys were such doofuses, all the tension in the house was gone, replaced with only laughter and a little bit of pouting from Ponyboy. Dally didn't know what it was like to have a real family growing up but he figured this was pretty damn close.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Playing Hooky (part 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Turn the TV off. Family meeting," Darry said, coming into the room and putting his hands on his hips. Uh oh, Darry didn't look happy. Ponyboy was sure that his big brother knew.</p><p>"What'd we do now?" Steve asked. </p><p>"Ran into Mrs. Murphy at the grocery store," Darry said, "She asked me if Ponyboy was sick since he wasn't in class today. Imagine my surprise since I'd thought it was a teacher work day."</p><p>"Wait, it wasn't a teacher work day?" Two-Bit asked, feigning surprise.</p><p>"Knock it off," Darry ordered, "I know y'all lied to me." </p><p>"Hey, Ponyboy lied to you, we just didn't correct him," Steve said. Pony sent him an outraged look and jabbed his foot into the older boy's side.</p><p>"Both of you, here, now," Darry barked, snapping his finger and pointing to the spot in front of him.</p><p>"Why?" Ponyboy whined. </p><p>"'Cause I'm gonna smack your backside, that's why," Darry said. Ponyboy could tell from his big brother's exasperated tone that he oughta do as he was told or else. Steve reached Darry first and Darry turned him to the side and smacked him twice before letting him go. Pony gulped when Darry reached for the waistband of his jeans. He didn't know why he'd be gettin his pants pulled down when Steve didn't. The rule was that they got the same punishment for stuff like this. To Pony's relief,  Darry just pulled up the waistband of his too loose jeans, pulling the material taught over the kid's backside before smacking his hand down twice. Goddamn, Darry was strong. </p><p>"Ow," Pony complained, crossing his arms to keep from rubbing his ass. He didn't need any remarks of 'he barely touched you' from his big brothers. </p><p>"I'm done playing with y'all today," Darry scolded, "Why in God's name did you need to play hooky?"</p><p>No one immediately answered, but Pony knew Darry was in a smacking mood and didn't have a lot of patience. "We wanted to see if we'd get away with it."</p><p>Darry sighed and turned to Soda and Dally, "Did y'all know about this?"</p><p>"No siree," Soda replied.</p><p>"Nah," Dally confirmed, still eyeing Darry warily.</p><p>"Alright, you're off the hook. But the rest of y'all lied to me," Darry said, "Did any of you go to school today?"</p><p>A chorus of mumbled 'no's and 'no, sir's rang out.</p><p>"That what I thought," Darry said, "I want each of y'all to get the notes for each of your classes. You can spend Saturday copying them right here at the table where I can keep an eye on you.</p><p>"But I'm working on Sunday!" Steve argued, "I won't have a single day off."</p><p>"You had today off, even though you weren't supposed to," Darry said, shutting down any further arguments. "Y'all are lucky I'm not washing mouths out for lying to my face."  </p><p>"We're awful sorry Dar," Ponyboy said, gaining a bit of courage now that he knew he wasn't gonna be sucking on soap. He hadn't been sure if that was coming or not, but he really hated getting his mouth washed out. </p><p>"No you ain't," Darry said, "You're just sorry you got caught. Speaking of which, how did y'all plan to avoid getting into trouble at school for this?" </p><p>"We were gonna forge notes," Johnny squeaked out. The school policy was if a kid didn't bring in a note, the school secretary would call home for the parent to confirm that the kid was sick or otherwise excused. Most parents Pony knew wouldn't lie for their kids and would let them get paddled in school, then probably whup them again at home. He'd seen that happen to Soda, both when his parents were alive, and after they died, before he dropped out. In fact, it happened more than once in the months leading up to Soda dropping out. Darry covered for him at first, probably thinking that Soda needed time to grieve, but just as he was tough on Ponyboy, Darry was tough on Soda. Darry spanked Soda a couple times for ditching and finally resorted to using his belt before giving up altogether and letting Soda drop out. Both Pony and Darry hated that Soda dropped out, but they needed the money. </p><p>"I'll sign your old man's name. Steve, yours too. Two-Bit, you're gonna tell your Ma about this and she can decide whether or not to excuse you."</p><p>"But then I might get paddled at school even though those guys won't!" Two-Bit argued. Pony bit his lip. Darry still hadn't said if he was gonna write Pony a note or not. </p><p>"You can tell her I punished you and that I'm writing notes for the other boys, but I ain't keeping this from her," Darry said, "And you best not try to forge your own note because you know I'm gonna call her and check."</p><p>"Are you gonna write me a note too?" Ponyboy ventured.</p><p>"Yes, out of fairness, and because I don't want you getting on the principal's bad side," Darry said, "But that don't mean I'm happy with any of you. Two-Bit, what's the school punishment for playing hooky?"</p><p>"Uh, three licks of the paddle."</p><p>"Alright, I'm gonna give you my own three licks, plus three more for lying to me," Darry said, "But this is just a taste. If any of y'all play hooky again, I'll spank you every night for a week."</p><p>Jesus, every night for a week? Ponyboy didn't know how anyone could survive that.</p><p>"Well, that seems like my cue to duck out of here for a while," Soda said, turning to Dally, "You coming?"</p><p>"Right behind you."</p><p>Once Dally and Soda had left the house, Darry spoke again, "Y'all can pick between six of the paddle over your jeans or six with my hand on your bare ass. Ponyboy, you're first. What's it gonna be?"</p><p>Ponyboy should've figured. Darry almost always went youngest to oldest. He hesitated for a minute, not knowing what to pick. Six with Darry's hand would hurt less, but would the other guys think he was a baby for picking the more embarrassing punishment?</p><p>"Go ahead and take the spanking, kid," Steve said, "We ain't gonna make fun of you."</p><p>"Okay," Ponyboy said, unbuttoning his jeans and pushing them down to his knees. Darry took a seat on the couch and pulled Ponyboy over his knee. Like with any job, Darry didn't believe in fooling around, so he tugged Ponyboy's underwear down as soon as he was bent over. Ponyboy tensed as he felt Darry's hand raise and come down with a hard slap.</p><p>"Ouch!" Ponyboy complained, the smack being harder than it usually was. </p><p>"As the other boys can tell you, the school paddle hurts a lot more than my hand," Darry said, bring down another hard smack, "But that don't mean I ain't gonna make them count."</p><p>Darry brought his hand down four more times, slow and hard. Nothing liked the way Darry usually spanked. All in all, the total effect was way less than a full spanking, but each one damn well hurt. Pony felt Darry pull his briefs up over his now smarting ass and he pushed himself up off his big brother's knee.</p><p>"Johnny, what's it gonna be?" Darry asked. Pony was hoping that Johnny also took the spanking. Not only did he not wanna be the only one who chose the spanking like a little kid, but he also didn't want to see Johnny get paddled. Pony had seen Johnny's dad whip him with a two-by-four, and though the paddle wasn't anything close to that, he still didn't want to see Johnny get licked with it.</p><p>"Hand," Johnny chose. Two-Bit let out an audible sigh of relief and Steve unclenched his jaw. Seemed like they all felt the same way about Johnny getting paddled. Efficient as ever, Darry unbuttoned Johnny's jeans and pulled them down, tipping the sixteen year old over his lap. Ponyboy watched as Darry pulled Johnny's briefs down and gave him the same six hard whacks that Ponyboy got. </p><p>"Ow, Dar, that hurt!" Johnny said, standing up once Darry righted his underwear and pouting. Darry gave him a small grin. Pony knew if he complained, Darry would just ignore him or maybe give him a scowl. Complaints from Johnny were so few and far between and Pony knew his big brother was happy to see Johnny get a little sassy.</p><p>"Don't do it again," Darry said firmly, but without the usual ice, "Steve, make your choice."</p><p>"Paddle," Steve replied, of course. Even though he'd assured Pony that they wouldn't tease him for getting a spanking, it was clear the seventeen year old thought the paddling was the more dignified punishment. </p><p>"Go get it," Darry said. Steve nodded and disappeared into the kitchen for a minute, coming back in with the hated thing. God, it looked so small and innocent, until it was applied to your backside by a professional roofer. "School rules. Empty your pocket and grab your knees."</p><p>When Darry brought the paddle down full force on Steve's backside, Ponyboy was glad he chose the spanking. Each lick made a loud pop and made Steve hiss. Ponyboy didn't know how the older boy didn't just fall on his face with the impact of the swats. Darry squeezed Steve on the shoulder when it was done.</p><p>"Two-Bit?" Darry asked, turning to the oldest of the boys.</p><p>"C'mon, Dar, I'm eighteen! I'm an adult. I shouldn't have to go to school if I don't wanna."</p><p>"Two-Bit Mathews, now," Darry said, crossing his arms.</p><p>"But--"</p><p>"If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don't deserve to be punished when your brothers were, then I won't whup you. Can you do that?"</p><p>"No," Two-Bit mumbled, his face going red. Ponyboy knew that Two-Bit would never actually want to get out of a punishment when his brothers had already caught it. It seemed just to be a pride thing. Like he couldn't bend over without arguing at least a little. </p><p>"Pants down and over my knee," Darry said, sitting back down on the couch, "You're getting the paddle bare for fooling around."</p><p>Two-Bit looked like he was gonna argue, but considering he'd already gotten himself a worse punishment, he wisely shut his mouth and obeyed. Darry pulled down the thankfully only one pair of underwear that Two-Bit was wearing and smacked him hard with the paddle. Damn, and Pony had thought the paddle was loud over jeans. </p><p>"No more playing hooky, understood?" Darry said, once Two-Bit had gotten all but the last lick, looking at all of them in turn.</p><p>"Yessir," all four mumbled, and Darry brought the paddle down with one last hard crack. Damn, six hard licks with that thing and Two-Bit's butt was pretty red. Darry helped Two-Bit up and gave him a bear hug. Ponyboy was a little jealous at that. Why did Two-Bit get a hug right away? Ponyboy was even more surprised, and a little hurt, when Darry walked past him to hug Steve and Johnny. </p><p>Darry sat down on the couch and Pony was outraged. Where was his hug? He moved toward the door to go find Soda, knowing he'd at least get one from him, but Darry grabbed his wrist, pulling Ponyboy to sit down on his lap and squeezed him tight. The youngest Curtis sighed in relief. This was way better than a normal hug. He wasn't even jealous when Darry let go with one arm and snagged Johnny by the belt loop, pulling him to sit next to them and lean against Darry.</p><p>The six smacks hadn't hurt that bad, but he did not want to find out what it would be like to get whupped every night for a week.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>To be continued. Bedtime spankings to come (hopefully soon)!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Playing Hooky (part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Shout out rightundermyskin and Anon who requested bedtime spankings! Lots of spankings and lots of cuddles in this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Wednesday</em>
</p><p>After that day, Ponyboy resolved not to ditch school again. Or at the very least, not get caught. But one morning he and Darry got into it about a C he got on a pop quiz and Ponyboy felt like playing hooky just for the sake of it. He hadn't thought it through too well, though. Nobody was around to skip with and he found himself quickly getting bored. He went to the movies in the morning, but then decided to risk going home to get his book, planning to sit under the tree and read a little. Unfortunately, he couldn't find the book right away and was still looking for it when Darry showed up.</p><p>"Ponyboy Michael, why ain't you in school?" Darry asked, frowning at him.</p><p>"Uh, why ain't you at work?" Ponyboy tried.</p><p>"You wanna try that again?" Darry countered, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"I cut school," Ponyboy answered, looking at his feet.</p><p>"Jesus, Pony, I thought we already went over this."</p><p>"We did."</p><p>"Apparently not good enough, since you're here, doing it again. Do you remember what I told you would happen if you skip school?"</p><p>Ponyboy really wanted to say no, but he knew Darry would see right through him. "You said you'd tan me every night for a week, but Dar, that's way too much"</p><p>"No, Ponyboy, I don't wanna hear it. I'm gonna nip this in the bud once and for all," Darry said, "Was anyone with you?"</p><p>Damnit, now he was doubly screwed. He wasn't allowed to skip school and he certainly wasn't allowed to be roaming around on his own. Ponyboy reluctantly shook his head.</p><p>"Alright, then I think you already know what's gonna happen," Darry said, "I'm gonna tan you tonight for skipping school and being out alone and then reheat your butt each night to remind you to do your best in school the next day."</p><p>"That's not fair."</p><p>"Keep talking and I'll show you what not fair looks like," Darry scolded, crossing his arms. Ponyboy wisely shut up. Darry looked at him sternly for a moment before checking his watch. "No point in you going back to school now. Clean up the house and stay out of trouble till I get off."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said sullenly. </p><p>"I mean it," Darry said, "Step one foot out of this house and I'm taking off my belt." Pony nodded at his clearly pissed off big brother, who grabbed his lunch and headed out the door. </p><p>As the day went on, Ponyboy got more and more annoyed. What did it matter if he skipped school every once in a while? He still got As in all his classes. And Soda and Dally had dropped out! Darry was such a hypocrite for being all over Pony's ass.</p><p>Ponyboy did a half-ass job of tidying up the house before flopping down on the couch to watch TV. He must've fallen asleep because the next thing he felt was a weight flopping down on his torso.</p><p>"We missed you at school today, kid," Two-Bit said, sitting on top of Ponyboy.</p><p>"Get off me," Ponyboy said, trying to push the older boy off of him. Johnny, Steve, and Dally were all grinning at them, but no one came to the fourteen year old's aid. Pony punched at Two-Bit's back until the eighteen year old finally let him wiggle out.</p><p>"What happened, Pone? You go home sick?" Johnny asked concerned. God, Johnny was the only real friend Ponyboy had. </p><p>"Nah, I played hooky," Ponyboy shrugged, before yelping at the sharp slap upside the head.</p><p>"You skipped again?" Steve said incredulously, "What the hell is wrong with you?"</p><p>"You better pray Darry don't find out," Dally added. If it were anyone else, Pony would've glared, but he still had a healthy fear of Dally.</p><p>"He already did," Ponyboy said, "So can y'all at least let me enjoy my last few hours before I'm six feet under?"</p><p>"Here lies Ponyboy," Two-Bit said wiping away fake tears, "He died too young."</p><p>"I ain't gonna kill him," Darry said, coming in the door, "Too many witnesses."</p><p>Darry continued on into the kitchen. "Thought I told you to clean up around here."</p><p>"I did...a little," Ponyboy said.</p><p>"Uh huh," Darry said, clearly not buying it, "I'm gonna grab a shower and then we're gonna have a conversation. Go wait for me in my room."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, not wanting to push his brother any further. He went into Darry's room and sat on the bed. He'd never admit it, but he kinda missed when he, Sodapop, and Darry all shared one room. Before their parents died, Darry had been saving up to get his own place, declaring that 20 was too old to share a bedroom with his kid brothers. Even if the room was cramped, Ponyboy felt safest with Darry in the twin bed by the door. But Darry was always practical and said there was no use in letting a perfectly good bedroom go to waste.</p><p>"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Darry said, coming into the room in a towel, his hair wet and disheveled. It was funny seeing Darry like that. Even at after roofing all day, Darry always seemed put together. </p><p>"Just remembering this being Mom and Dad's room," Ponyboy said, softly.</p><p>"Yeah, I think about that a lot." Darry said, starting to get dressed. "I know I'm hard on you but I'm tryna raise you like they would've wanted."</p><p>"I know," Ponyboy said, his earlier annoyance gone and now sad that Darry had to punish him.</p><p>"You skip because you were upset about our fight this morning?" Darry asked, sitting down next to Ponyboy once he was fully dressed. </p><p>"Yeah," Ponyboy admitted, knowing that Darry had him pegged.</p><p>"I'm sorry I lost my temper and hollered at you," Darry said. Ponyboy used to think Darry wasn't ever sorry for anything he did, but he knew that Darry didn't actually like yelling at him. "But that don't give you the right to abandon your responsibilities. I was upset too but I didn't get to just blow off work."</p><p>Ponyboy didn't have an answer to that so he just nodded.</p><p>"So since I saw you get in Two-Bit's car this morning, I'm guessing you walked home from school alone?" Darry asked. Damnit, Ponyboy was hoping Darry had forgotten about that. </p><p>"Yessir," Pony said softly. </p><p>"I'm done talking to you over and over about not walking by yourself. This is the last time I go easy on you. Next time I'm gonna take you out to the garage."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, cringing. He really didn't want to get a whipping. </p><p>"You're getting a weeks worth of spankings for skipping school, just like I promised," Darry said, "But first, I'm gonna give you four licks of my belt as a taste of what'll happen if you do this again."</p><p>"Dar, no!" Ponyboy protested, his stomach dropping. He'd heard his brothers howling when they got the belt and had no desire to experience it.</p><p>"Yes," Darry said firmly, unbuckling his belt, "It's gonna hurt, but you gotta learn. I will not have you getting jumped because you didn't use your head. Now c'mon and let's get this done. Pull your pants and underwear down and bend over the bed."</p><p>Ponyboy sent Darry his best pout, but Darry just looked at him sternly. "One."</p><p>Ponyboy's hands flew to his jeans when Darry started counting, wise enough to know not to push Darry when he already had his belt in hand. He quickly unbuttoned his jeans and kicked them right off, knowing that he wouldn't want to put them back on after this, before putting his hands flat on the bed.</p><p>"If I have to beat some sense into your backside, so be it, but you've gotta start thinking," Darry said. Ponyboy felt a strong hand on his lower back before he heard the whoosh of the belt coming down. Without Darry's hand on his back, Ponyboy probably would've shot straight up at the line of fire that was accompanied by a loud crack. Before Pony could really process it, Darry brought down another stripe. At the third, Ponyboy hissed in pain. This was way worse than the paddle. How did his brothers survive a whole whipping with the belt? Or even worse, the strap? Soda had said that thing hurt even worse than the belt. </p><p>When Darry delivered the fourth lick, Ponyboy felt tears come to his eyes. He swore to himself that this was the one and only time Darry would need to use the belt on him.</p><p>"Pull your underwear up," Darry said, and Ponyboy could hear his older brother threading his belt through the loops. Pulling his underwear up over his smarting behind was the last thing he wanted to do just then, but he hoped it meant there would be a pause before the spanking. </p><p>"Sit," Darry said. Ponyboy tried to ignore the throbbing in his ass as it made contact with the bed. He wiggled around to try to find a more comfortable position, but that seemed to be a lost cause. Darry looked at him sternly. "What were those licks for?"</p><p>"Walking home from school by myself," Ponyboy muttered, hating to have to participate in his own scolding.</p><p>"Yup," Darry said. "No more doing that, got me?"</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said. He was never <em>ever</em> gonna do that again if it meant getting a full whipping.</p><p>"Alright, now we just gotta talk about school. You know you're not allowed to just ditch whenever you feel like it."</p><p>"It's not that big of a deal," Pony argued before he could stop himself, "I get all As anyway."</p><p>"Yeah, and I intend to make sure they stay that way."</p><p>"But Soda was barely passing!" Ponyboy cried, horrified as soon as the words came out of his mouth, but meaning what he said. Soda and Dally had both dropped out, Two-Bit and Johnny had both been held back, and Steve kept mostly a B/C average. Pony didn't get why Darry was always on him about grades. </p><p>"Keep your voice down!" Darry hissed, slapping the front of Ponyboy's thigh, "Are you trying to hurt Soda's feelings?"</p><p>"No, sir," Ponyboy said, hanging his head. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Sodapop. He hoped his middle brother wasn't home yet.</p><p>"Look," Darry said, obviously trying to control his temper, "I know I'm harder on you than anyone else about grades, but that's because I know you can do better. And even if you don't now, you're gonna want more some day than living on the East side. The rest of us are gonna work with our hands our whole lives, but you have a chance to do something more. Be a doctor or a lawyer or a writer or anything. You have a chance. You savvy?"</p><p>"Yeah," Ponyboy said. He knew his big brother had given up the chance to college to raise him and Sodapop, so he'd just about kill Ponyboy if he gave up his chance. </p><p>"But back to the matter at hand, I'm not so worried your grades are gonna slip from one day of playing hooky, but I'm not having you be Curly Shepard and only show up to school half the time. This week it's one day, and then next week it's two, and then you become a regular truant.  We can't have truant officers after us. I'm struggling enough to prove to the State that I'm a fit guardian as it is."</p><p>Ponyboy never really thought about it that way. He just thought Darry was being a hard ass as usual. But, come to think of it, the social worker practically threw a fit when Soda dropped out of school. Pony didn't need to be bringing any more attention on them.</p><p>"Besides, I need to know you are where you say you're gonna be," Darry continued, "If you'd've gotten hurt, we would've had no idea where you were. It's the same reason why I make you leave a note when you leave the house. You saying you're gonna be at school and then not going is the same as leaving me a note saying you were going one place and then heading somewhere completely different. You know I'd skin you for that, just like I'm gonna skin you for this."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy sighed, sensing that Darry was wrapping up his lecture. </p><p>"Alright, stand up," Darry said, the pair swapping positions so that Darry was sitting on the bed and Ponyboy was standing in front of him. "Bend over."</p><p>Ponyboy didn't much like having to put himself over Darry's lap instead of Darry just dragging him there. Who wants to willingly bend over their big brother's knee to get their ass tanned?</p><p>"Lift," Darry said, tapping Ponyboy's hip. The youngest Curtis buried his face into one of Darry's pillows as his big brother pulled his underwear down to his knees. If it was only gonna be a short spanking, Darry would only tug them down to just below his butt, but Ponyboy knew that he wasn't leaving Darry's knee without some slaps to his legs.</p><p>Without warning, Ponyboy felt the sting of Darry's hand falling dead center on his ass. Ponyboy tried to stay still as Darry spanked his behind, but it was easier said than done. Not even thirty seconds in and he was squirming on Darry's knee in response to the smacks. The belt had already tenderized his ass and now Darry's hand was frying it. </p><p>"Owwwwww," Ponyboy complained when Darry smacked his thigh. Darry continued to smack Ponyboy's legs and the kid started to kick in response to the sting. Even when Darry returned to slapping his behind, Ponyboy still kicked and wiggled around, hoping to somehow make Darry miss. </p><p>"Move your hand," Darry said, firmly. Ponyboy hadn't even realized he'd thrown it back in an attempt to stop Darry from spanking him. Pony knew he should obey but he couldn't will himself to do it. He regretted it when Darry slapped the back of his hand, hard.</p><p>Pony immediately yanked his hand away from his butt, rubbing it with his other hand. He wished he could rub his ass, but he was surely not gonna risk putting his hand back again. Darry continued to spank until Ponyboy was sure his ass was gonna fall right off.</p><p>"We gonna have this conversation again?"</p><p>"Nooooo," Ponyboy whined, too worn out to even tack on the 'sir' that Darry usually required when he was in trouble.</p><p>"Alright, alright, calm down," Darry said, rubbing Ponyboy's back, "We're done."</p><p>"But we're not!" Ponyboy cried, "You're gonna tan me all week!"</p><p>"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time," Darry said, righting Ponyboy's underwear.</p><p>"Not fair," Pony whined.</p><p>"Pony, hush," Darry said, sitting Ponyboy between his knees, "I warned you what would happen and you did it anyway. But also it's not gonna be like today. Just a little reminder."</p><p>Ponyboy huffed but leaned back into his big brother. He didn't like that Darry was being stern with him even after a spanking. This was the time where Darry was supposed to be at his most comforting.</p><p>"Let's worry about that tomorrow," Darry said, seemingly reading Ponyboy's mind.</p><p>"Fine," Pony said, getting sleepy as he laid against his brother's chest, his tears drying up. </p><p>"Hey, don't fall asleep on me," Darry said, shaking Ponyboy a bit, "I'm not giving you another spanking tonight, but you still have an early bedtime. If you nap now, you're gonna be all mad when you have to go to bed at 8:30 and I'm not in the mood to deal with that."</p><p>Ponyboy wanted to protest but he knew Darry was right. Still, he wasn't happy about it so he stayed put on Darry's lap.</p><p>"C'mon, get up," Darry said, "Soda's probably home by now and I'm sure he'll be itching to coddle you and chew me out for using the belt."</p><p>"You deserve it," Ponyboy said, turning his head to look at his big brother and grinning for the first time since he'd gotten caught that day. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Thursday</em>
</p><p>"Dar, you can't spank him for a whole week," Soda said when Darry walked in the door. Great, just what Darry needed, another argument with Sodapop. The kid had been so annoyed with Darry for taking the belt to Ponyboy that he'd apparently forgotten to argue with Darry the night before about the bedtime spankings. He'd only acquiesced when Darry reminded him about the time Pony got jumped by the Socs before. </p><p>"My day was fine. Thanks for asking, Sodapop," Darry said sarcastically. </p><p>"You can't spank him again tonight," Soda repeated. </p><p>"Yeah, I can, and I'm going to." </p><p>"That's way too harsh. He's still sore from yesterday."</p><p>"I'm not arguing with you about it," Darry said firmly, "I warned him what would happen and he did it anyway."</p><p>"But can't you cut him a little slack? I mean--"</p><p>"Sodapop, enough," Darry barked, annoyed. How many times did they have to have this argument?</p><p>"No, not enough!"</p><p>Without warning, Darry spun the kid around and tugged his pants down at the side to reveal the top few inches of his butt near his right hip. The oldest Curtis delivered a flurry of quick, light smacks, only really using his wrist and just letting his fingers make contact with Soda's skin.</p><p>"That's about all I plan to give Ponyboy," Darry said, letting Soda go.</p><p>"Oh," Soda said, a little sheepishly, absentmindedly rubbing the spot Darry had smacked. </p><p>"I'm just trying to give him a little reminder to go to school and do his best," Darry explained, "But I can't do that if you're undermining me, little buddy."</p><p>"Sorry," Soda mumbled.</p><p>"I know," Darry said, pulling the kid into a hug and ruffling his hair.</p><p>The rest of the evening went by pretty uneventfully. Dally and Two-Bit were the free-loaders of the night joining them for dinner. Ponyboy pretty much avoided Darry, but was obviously on his best behavior. He jumped up to set the table without being asked and offered to do the dishes even though it was Soda's turn. As the clock got closer to 8, Darry tried to ignore Pony's imploring looks and steel himself for what he had to do.</p><p>"Go get ready for bed," Darry ordered at 8:15.</p><p>"Can't we skip it, just for tonight? My butt still hurts from yesterday," Pony pleaded.</p><p>"No, I warned you and you chose to disobey me. These are the consequences."</p><p>"I'd listen to him, kid," Two-Bit chimed in from the couch, "Your big brother is a huge stick in the mud."</p><p>"Unhelpful," Darry said, looking at Two-Bit.</p><p>"Please, Darry?"</p><p>"Pone, remember, we talked about this," Soda said softly, "It ain't gonna be that bad."</p><p>"Go get ready and wait for me in your room or we can do it out here. Your choice."</p><p>"Fine," Ponyboy muttered.</p><p>"You got this, Ponykid," Dally grinned. </p><p>"I'm putting him to bed afterward so either keep the noise down or go somewhere else."</p><p>"Dingo?" Two-Bit asked.</p><p>"Dingo," Soda and Dally agreed.</p><p>"Home by 11, Sodapop," Darry said, "You work tomorrow."</p><p>"Yes, Mom," Soda said, grabbing his wallet and scurrying out the door before Darry could smack him. The house quiet, Darry made his way to Pony and Soda's room. Ponyboy was sitting on his bed, waiting for Darry.</p><p>"I'm really, really sorry, Dar," Pony said, tearing up a little.</p><p>"Aw, baby, it's okay," Darry said, pulling Ponyboy to sit on his lap, "Didn't you and Soda have a talk? You know I'm just gonna reheat your butt a little."</p><p>"Yeah, but every night? " Pony whined, "I'll never sit again."</p><p>"I think you're working this up to more than it is," Darry said, "You'll feel better once it's done."</p><p>"Wait, Dar!" Ponyboy complained as Darry moved him around so he was laying over his knee. He didn't even bother pulling Pony's briefs down, just tugged them to one side, delivered five light smacks to one cheek before doing the same to the other side.</p><p>"All done," Darry said, sitting Ponyboy right side up on his lap.</p><p>"That was it?"</p><p>"You want more?" Darry teased.</p><p>"No, sir," Pony said quickly.</p><p>"Unless you act up during the day, that'll be it each night," Darry said, "And we're gonna talk to make sure you remember why we're doing this, but you were so shook up, I didn't think you needed that today. But now that you know what's gonna happen, I won't take no more foolishness. Understood?"</p><p>"Yeah," Pony said, nestling himself into his big brother's chest. Darry shifted them so he was leaning back against the headboard, with Ponyboy kinda laying on top of him. He knew the kid didn't like getting spanked and sent to bed early, but Darry hoped that laying with the kid afterward would make the punishment a little easier to take. When Pony just got sent to bed, he'd get bored and moody and usually mouth off to Darry in the morning and get himself popped. Darry figured this would avoid all that. As long as Ponyboy didn't screw up this whole week, Darry figured they'd both survive the week unscathed.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Friday</em>
</p><p>"Bedtime," Darry ordered, flicking the dial on the TV. </p><p>"C'mon, it ain't even a school night." Ponyboy complained. If this whole thing was to remind him to do his best in school the next day, why did he have to be reminded on a Friday night?</p><p>"For you it is," Darry said, "I'm gonna leave out some extra work for you to do, plus you gotta copy down those notes."</p><p>"But I didn't have to do extra work last time!" Ponyboy argued.</p><p>"Well, last time obviously didn't stick with you," Darry said, "Now quit arguing or I'll get you up in the morning when I go to work just like it was a real school day."</p><p>"Fine," Ponyboy huffed, getting up and walking past Darry toward his bedroom. He wasn't surprised to feel a sharp smack as he went by.</p><p>"You've got ten minutes to get ready for bed and lose the attitude," Darry said. Ponyboy was glad Darry couldn't see the face he made. "And don't roll your eyes at me."</p><p>Damnit, how did Darry even know that he'd rolled his eyes? </p><p>Just like the night before, he quickly got changed and sat down on the edge of the bed to wait for Darry. Even when it was just a few smacks, Ponyboy always felt uncomfortable waiting for a punishment. Sometimes Darry would make his brothers wait till the next morning or something, especially if they'd been drinking, but since Ponyboy often caught it for being mouthy, Darry would just spank him then and there. Pony had yet to do something so bad that Darry needed the night to calm down, but he didn't want to experience that. </p><p>"Come in," Ponyboy said when Darry rapped on the door, which Pony was glad for. When Darry was mad, he'd just throw the door right open. </p><p>"You ready to talk?" Darry asked.</p><p>"Yessir," Pony said, realizing he was getting his butt warmed whether he liked it or not. </p><p>"Good," Darry said, sitting down next to Pony on the bed. "I know you think I'm being a hard ass, but school is too important for you to be messing around in. You need to get good grades so you can get a scholarship and go to college."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said. He'd heard it before. Good grades. Scholarship. College. He knew his big brothers were just looking out for him, but he could practically recite Darry's 'school is important' speech. </p><p>"Alright, stand up," Darry said, and Ponyboy did as he was told. If it was anything like yesterday, it'd be over quick then he could relax in Darry's arms. Jeez, some greaser he was, wanting to cuddle with his big brother. </p><p>As soon as he was over Darry's knee, Ponyboy felt his underwear being pulled down to below his butt. Darry hadn't done that yesterday, but Pony figured Darry was taking his time tonight. Pony felt Darry tap his butt once before delivering a light but stinging smack. It didn't hurt more than the day before, but Darry was definitely going slower. After a few seconds, he delivered another smack. He kept going that way until he reached ten smacks. It couldn't have taken more than a minute, but it was a lot longer than the five seconds it took the night before. </p><p>"Why'd you do it all slow like that?" Ponyboy asked in a half whine after Darry and righted the kid's underwear and sat him on his lap.</p><p>"I wanted you to remember being over my knee by keeping you there for more than half a second."</p><p>"Mean," Ponyboy said.</p><p>"Yup, now why don't you lay down with me a bit," Darry said, "Your mean big brother is also your tired big brother." </p><p>Ponyboy wasn't gonna argue with that so he scooted off Darry's lap and under the covers, laying with his head on Darry's chest once his brother got situated. Just like the night before, Darry started to play with Ponyboy's hair. That went on for a few minutes before Darry's hand slowed down and eventually stopped. Ponyboy looked up at Darry to complain, but realized that Darry was sound asleep. Well, looked like Soda was gonna be sleeping in Darry's bed tonight.</p><p>And maybe, Ponyboy hoped, Darry would just forget about those extra assignments he'd promised Ponyboy.  </p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Saturday</em>
</p><p>Soda's opinion on the bedtime spankings had changed over the last few days. That, or he just thought Ponyboy could use a good kick in the ass. Probably a little of both. </p><p>"You gonna tell Darry?" Ponyboy said after Soda had finished lecturing him for going out in the afternoon when he and Darry were both at work.</p><p>"No, but you're gonna get more than a couple of taps when I spank you tonight," Soda replied. Darry was working late and had tasked Soda with giving Ponyboy his bedtime spanking.</p><p>"Soda!" Ponyboy whined, "That's not fair! I just went to see if Johnny was home." And thank God that's as far as he went. Ponyboy was allowed to walk to get one of the other boys, but not go anywhere else alone. </p><p>"Last time I checked, you're still grounded," Soda replied, "Did you finish the assignments Darry left for you?"</p><p>"I'm almost done," Pony said.</p><p>"Well then you better go get completely done so Darry doesn't skin you when he checks them tomorrow," Soda said. Pony looked like he was gonna argue, but Soda cut him off, "And if the next words out of your mouth aren't 'yes, Soda,' I'm gonna skin you myself."</p><p>"Yes, Soda," Ponyboy said, turning and heading toward the kitchen table. Soda followed him into the kitchen to get started on dinner and keep an eye on the kid. The house was silent for a few minutes before Dally, Two-Bit, and Johnny came barging in. Honestly, Soda was surprised they weren't already there. Steve had went home to shower and change after their shift, but he'd probably be by soon too.</p><p>"You stuck in Darry detention again?" Two-Bit asked, sitting down at the table beside Ponyboy. </p><p>"Soda detention," Pony muttered. They'd both been in 'detention' a month before, alongside Steve and Johnny. Two-Bit had shot a spitball at Darry's back and Darry slapped him upside the head so hard that Two-Bit had sworn he saw stars. </p><p>"Pony, go finish your work in our room. I'll call you when dinner's ready," Soda said. </p><p>"I can finish out here," Pony argued.</p><p>"No," Soda said, "Go now or you can have dinner in our room as well."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, gathering up his books. Soda went back to cooking dinner and just as he was about to spring Ponyboy for dinner, the kid came back out. "I'm done, Soda."</p><p>"Just in time," Soda said, easing up and giving the kid crooked grin.</p><p>"Perfect, now you can set the table instead of me," Two-Bit said, handing Pony the stack of plates he was holding. Soda rolled his eyes. Two-Bit would do anything to get out of even the slightest bit of work.</p><p>After dinner, Soda looked at the wall clock. It was nearly 7:30. He sighed, knowing that his kid brother wouldn't like what he had to say next. "Ponyboy, go get ready for bed."</p><p>"It's not 8:30 yet," Pony said, sounding confused. Well, confused was better than defiant.</p><p>"You earned yourself an even earlier bedtime by breaking your grounding today."</p><p>"You broke your grounding?" Steve asked, "You're a special kinda stupid, ain't ya?"</p><p>"Steve," Soda scolded.</p><p>"What?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Cool it," Dally said before Soda even had the chance to. Soda looked at the older boy appreciatively.</p><p>"We're gonna head over to the drive in. You wanna meet us there later?" Two-Bit asked.</p><p>"Nah, I'm in for the night," Soda said. He didn't wanna leave Pony on his own after giving him a spanking, even if the kid was already asleep. </p><p>"You gonna be alright, Pone?" Johnny asked the youngest member of their family.</p><p>"Course Pony'll be alright," Two-Bit said, slinging an arm around the boy, "Kid's butt is used to getting beat."</p><p>"All of you, out," Soda said, shooing all the boys out the door. Johnny gave final glance back toward the brothers but Soda gave him a reassuring nod. Once the door was shut, Soda turned to Ponyboy. "Now that the riff-raff's gone we can get this done."</p><p>"Yes, Soda," Ponyboy said glumly, heading off to their room. Soda gave Pony a minute to get himself ready for bed and went into the drawer to grab the wooden spoon. He wasn't planning to spank Ponyboy that hard, but he wanted to make sure the kid knew he took this seriously. Darry would probably use the paddle, but Soda wasn't Darry. </p><p>Ponyboy visibly cringed when he saw Soda come in with the spoon. "Sodaaaaa."</p><p>"No, Ponyboy, we talked about this," Soda said sternly, "You broke your grounding and didn't leave a note so I had no idea where you were. You messed up and now you need to take your punishment."</p><p>"Yessir," Pony sighed, standing up without being asked. Soda took a seat on their bed and pulled Ponyboy over his lap.</p><p>"Try to stay still and behave and we can make this a quick one, okay?" Soda asked, pulling Pony's underwear down to his knees. </p><p>"Yessir," Pony repeated and Soda tapped him once in warning before giving him a swat with the spoon. He didn't bother warming the kid up with his hand first since this was gonna be a pretty short reminder.  He smacked the spoon down repeatedly on the lower parts of Ponyboy's butt, wanting the kid to remember it when he sat down tomorrow. </p><p>"I ain't telling Darry about this tonight, but if you sneak out again this week, I'm gonna hafta tell him," Soda said, "And you know what will happen then?"</p><p>"He'll give me a whuppin'," Ponyboy groaned, the spoon still falling on his backside.</p><p>"Yep, and you can bet your ass it'll be way worse than what I'm giving you now," Soda replied, "And if I get it for keeping it from him, I'm gonna kick your little butt. Understand?"</p><p>"Yes, Soda," Ponyboy said, sounding sniffly. Soda knew it was his choice not to tell Darry about Ponyboy sneaking out and he shouldn't threaten to retaliate if it went south, but it was his prerogative as a big brother to make sure his kid brother didn't get him into trouble. Darry had done the same thing when their parents were alive, helping Soda sneak back in but promising there would be hell to pay if he kept doing it and got them caught. He'd also kicked the then thirteen-year-old Sodapop in the pants on their way to school the next day once they were out of eye and earshot of their parents. </p><p>"Hold tight, almost done," Soda said, a little more gently than before. He gave Ponyboy a round of rapid fire smacks all over his backside and legs.</p><p>"Sorrrrrryyyyyy!" Ponyboy wailed, and Soda dropped the spoon. He pushed Ponyboy's briefs off, figuring the kid could live without underwear for one night and his sleep shirt was big enough to cover his modesty. </p><p>"Shh, honey, you're okay," Soda said, dragging Ponyboy with him so they were laying side by side facing each other. Ponyboy immediately grabbed onto Soda's t-shirt and burrowed into his chest. </p><p>"That hurt," Ponyboy whined. </p><p>"Supposed to," Soda quipped and Pony swatted at him with his hand. "You'll feel better in the morning."</p><p>"Not tired yet," Ponyboy said.</p><p>"Uh huh," Soda replied, not believing his kid brother one bit. A good ass whupping tired everyone out. Knowing how to get Ponyboy to sleep, he lightly scratched the kid's back. Soda wasn't working tomorrow and he knew that this would mean Pony would get up at the ass crack of dawn and probably drag Soda up with him, but it was better than trying to fight Ponyboy into staying in bed if he wasn't tired. Hopefully, tomorrow would be a better day.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Sunday</em>
</p><p>"Hey, kid," Darry said, coming into Ponyboy's room, "Thanks for getting ready for bed without me even asking."</p><p>"Can't we just skip it tonight? I got up too early and I just wanna sleep," Ponyboy said, laying on his bed, pouting. God, it was like the kid practiced it in the mirror or something. </p><p>"No, c'mon, we'll make it quick," Darry said.</p><p>"But I'm tired!" Ponyboy whined, "Can't I just go to bed?"</p><p>"Just roll over and we'll do it and then you can sleep," Darry said, hoping he wouldn't have to roll the kid over himself.</p><p>"Fine," Ponyboy muttered, turning onto his stomach. Darry rolled his eyes when Ponyboy couldn't see him anymore.</p><p>"Why are we doing this?" Darry asked, resting a hand on Pony's back.</p><p>"Because you're a jerk," Pony grumbled, yelping when Darry popped his brief-covered behind. </p><p>"Try that again," Darry said.</p><p>"Because I skipped school," Pony mumbled into his pillow.</p><p>"Yes siree," Darry said, tugging Ponyboy's briefs down to just below his butt. He noticed the kid had some oval shaped marks that hadn't been there on Friday. Making a mental note to ask Soda about that, Darry delivered a series of light swats until Pony shifted his hips a little to get away from the sting. "All done."</p><p>Ponyboy didn't wait for Darry to pull his briefs back up, just reached back and yanked them up himself.</p><p>"Good night, Ponyboy," Darry said, kissing his brother on the head and moving to leave the room. It seemed like his kid brother was in a mood tonight and just wanted to be left alone.</p><p>"Wait, where are you going?" Ponyboy said, pulling his head out of the pillows.</p><p>"I thought you wanted to go to bed?" </p><p>"Uh, I did, but not now," Ponyboy said sheepishly.</p><p>"Budge over, " Darry grinned, climbing into bed beside Ponyboy, who shifted himself so his head was in Darry's lap.  Darry started playing with the kid's hair. "Let's try to have a good week at school, kay?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm sick of having to go to bed early," Ponyboy said.</p><p>"And having a sore butt?" Darry chuckled.</p><p>"Not that sore anymore," Ponyboy said sleepily.</p><p>"Hmm, maybe I should spank you harder then? Make sure the lesson sticks."</p><p>"Noooo, don't!" </p><p>"I'm just teasing," Darry laughed, pulling Ponyboy in closer to him.</p><p>"Jackass," Ponyboy grumbled.</p><p>"Brat," Darry laughed.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Monday</em>
</p><p>"Me and Soda both gotta work tonight, so I'm gonna have one of the boys give you your spanking and put you to bed," Darry said, putting a plate of breakfast in front of Ponyboy. Soda was still sleeping after having worked the late shift the night before.</p><p>"What? No! Can't you just let me off for today?"</p><p>"I could, but I don't think you'd want me to tack it on at the end and be grounded an extra day," Darry said.</p><p>"Fine, but can I at least pick who's gonna do it?" Pony pleaded.</p><p>"Yeah, why not." Darry replied. Oh shit, he didn't really think Darry would say yes. </p><p>"Johnny," Ponyboy tried. Johnny wouldn't do more than tap him and they could just stay up talking.  </p><p>"Nice try," Darry said, "Two-Bit, Dally or Steve."</p><p>"But you said I could pick!" </p><p>"You can pick between those three," Darry said, "Decide now and I'll leave them a note. If you don't pick one before I have to go, you're gonna have to ask them yourself."</p><p>"You're a cruel bastard," Ponyboy muttered. He didn't want to pick any of them. Two-Bit was usually pretty easy going, but Pony knew from experience that he was serious when it came to doling out spankings. Plus, he could already hear the wise ass remarks that would come from the older boy as soon as he saw the note. Steve would probably have a few wise ass remarks as well, but ever since the hitchhiking incident, Steve had taken the whole serious big brother thing up a notch. You would think screwing up would've made Steve reluctant to swat Ponyboy, but no, he popped the kid more than ever. As usual, Dally was the wildcard. Dally would whack him up the head harder than even Darry did. Johnny said a spanking from Dally hurt, but not as bad as one from Darry. Johnny had been sitting in Dal's lap after the older boy spanked him, but Pony couldn't imagine cuddling with Dally. Laying on top of Darry after he got his smacks was the only good part of this whole thing. </p><p>"So, what's it gonna be?"</p><p>"Two-Bit," Pony sighed, figuring he'd be the most willing to comfort him afterward.</p><p>"Alright, but no funny business, y'hear?" Darry said, "You know I'll know if he doesn't do it right. I don't wanna have to whup you both."</p><p>"Yessir," Pony said, going back to picking at his breakfast, hoping Darry would drop the subject for now. He did and they ate in companionable silence until they heard the horn of Two-Bit's car out front.</p><p>"Since when is he ever early?" Pony grumbled, gathering up the dishes. Since Darry cooked, it was his job to clean up.</p><p>"I'll get 'em," Darry said, taking Pony's plate from him, "You don't wanna get on his bad side if he's gonna be smacking your behind."</p><p>Ponyboy glared at his grinning brother, grabbing his backpack and heading out to meet Two-Bit. He thought about just telling Two-Bit then, but Steve was sitting in the passenger seat and there was no way in hell he was starting his morning getting teased by Steve.</p><p>In the end, Pony waited till almost 8pm to bring it up. Darry had left a note on the kitchen table for Two-Bit, but Ponyboy had shoved it in a drawer, not wanting to deal with it until he had to. Turns out Steve was working that night as well, so it was just Johnny, Dally, Two-Bit, and Pony hanging out. Without Darry or Soda around, they had a nutritious dinner of cigarettes and candy bars. </p><p>"Uh, Two-Bit, Darry left you a note," Pony said, finally getting up the courage to hand it to the older boy. Two-Bit looked at him suspiciously but read it before giving him a goofy grin.</p><p>"Aw, you need old Two-Bit here to tuck you in tonight?"</p><p>"It don't say that," Ponyboy said, ripping the note from Two-Bit's hand.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Two-Bit--</p>
  <p>Need you to give Ponyboy his spanking tonight. Just make his butt sting a little and then sit with him for a while before he goes to bed. Lights out at 8:30. He already knows the drill. Thanks. </p>
</blockquote><p>God, this was so embarrassing. Stupid Darry and his stupid punishment. </p><p>"Don't worry, kid," Two-Bit grinned, "We'll just pretend we did it and Darry'll be none the wiser."</p><p>"He told me if we tried that he'd whup us both," Ponyboy mumbled. </p><p>"You gotta live a little sometimes," Two-Bit said. No wonder the older boy was over Darry's knee so much. No matter how many times he tried and failed, he was always hoping to get one over on Darry. </p><p>"Pretty hard to do that with Darry as my guardian," Pony said.</p><p>"Fair enough," Two-Bit said, "Go on and get ready for bed. I'll be there in a minute."</p><p>Ponyboy nodded and trudged off to his room. He changed into his pajama shirt and stripped off his jeans. After brushing his teeth, he sat down on the bed and waited for Two-Bit to come in.</p><p>"You ready, kid?" Two-Bit asked, not even bothering to knock. </p><p>"Yeah," Ponyboy said. Two-Bit walked over to him and without warning pulled Ponyboy to his feet. He tucked Ponyboy under his arm and brought his hand down rapid fire on Ponyboy's backside. Within ten seconds it was over and Ponyboy was sitting between Two-Bit's spread knees.  "Hey, what was that?"</p><p>"Gotta rip the bandaid off," Two-Bit said, squeezing Ponyboy a little, "You asked for it."</p><p>"Yeah, 'cause otherwise Darry was gonna find out and neither of us would ever sit again."</p><p>"You're right, last thing I need is another whupping," Two-Bit laughed,"Between Darry and your old man, I'm lucky I've got an ass left."</p><p>"You could try actually listening to Darry for once," Ponyboy quipped.</p><p>"Right back atcha'," Two-Bit said, reaching down and tapping Pony's only slightly stinging butt, "Now hop up and get in bed and I'll sing you a lullaby."</p><p>"Two-Bit!" Pony groaned. This whole getting tucked in joke was getting old.</p><p>"Fine," Two-Bit grinned, "A bedtime story then."</p><p>Ponyboy humphed but didn't argue. He got under the covers of his bed and Two-Bit clicked off the light and sat beside him. Ponyboy didn't care much for Two-Bit's exaggerated tale of his latest pursuits, but as the eighteen year old continued, he started absentmindedly stroking Ponyboy's hair, just like Darry usually did. Before long, Ponyboy found himself drifting off to sleep to the sound of Two-Bit laughing at his own jokes.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Tuesday</em>
</p><p>"Hey Dar," Ponyboy called from the kitchen. He was standing at the stove cooking dinner. Darry was immediately suspicious. Ponyboy never cooked dinner without being told to. Either he was in trouble with Sodapop or he wanted something. Or both.</p><p>"Hey, kiddo," Darry responded, sitting down at the table to unlace his boots, "How was your day?"</p><p>"Good, I went to all my classes and then did my homework right after school and even mowed the lawn, just like you asked."</p><p>Okay, so he definitely wanted something. "Uh huh, and why are you trying to soften me up? You do something?"</p><p>"No, sir," Ponyboy said. Darry raised and eyebrow and Pony sighed, "But I was hoping you'd let me stay up tonight and watch Hogan's Heroes."</p><p>Darry thought about that for a second. It was the last night of Ponyboy's grounding, but the kid had been pretty good all week. Well, minus whatever he did that made Soda take the spoon to his backside. Soda was still playing dumb on that one and Darry had decided to let it go. "I dunno, Pone, I promised you a week of butt beatings."</p><p>"And I promise I'll go straight to my room as soon as it's done and take my licks and go right to bed," Ponyboy said, "But all the guys are coming over to watch and I really wanna watch with them. Please?"</p><p>"I'll do you one better," Darry said, "Pull your pants down and I'll warm your butt right now and then your punishment will officially be over. One condition though."</p><p>"Condition?" Ponyboy asked.</p><p>"You gotta sit with me in the chair while we watch," Darry said, grinning as Ponyboy's face lit up. It wasn't often he sat down and actually watched TV with his kid brothers. Usually he'd be reading the paper or balancing the checkbook or something while they were all watching TV. With everything that needed his attention all the time, it just felt wrong to sit and watch someone else's life on TV. But he'd grown used to having some quality time with his brother before the kid went to bed and he wasn't ready to give that up.</p><p>"Deal," Ponyboy said, unbuttoning his pants and coming to stand in front of Darry. Darry didn't even bother bending the kid over, just turned him to the side and pulling down his pants. He gave the kid a reprieve and just smacked over his underwear. He gave the same ten or so light smacks that he usually did before delivering one good hard wallop.</p><p>"Ow," Ponyboy said, putting his hand back after the last one.</p><p>"One to grow on," Darry said, pulling Ponyboy into his lap.</p><p>He hoped Ponyboy grew on not just that last smack, but this whole experience. Darry loved his baby brother more than words could describe and he was determined to set the kid on the right path. And if he had to walk that path with a sore backside, then so be it. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Itchin' for a Switchin'</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Based on a prompt by imamepanda who wanted some lighthearted but wild mischief from Dally and Two-Bit.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two-Bit and Dallas were a pair to beat a full house. All gas, no breaks. Two-Bit loved fun and excitement, and Dally loved pissing people off and breaking the law. When Johnny or Ponyboy were with them, they'd try to tone it down so as to not the get the younger boys in trouble. Soda and Steve could sometimes get in on the trouble, but they tended to be a little better at, as Darry would call it, using their heads. But Two-Bit and Dally acted purely on impulse. Even Tim would sometimes pull the breaks on particularly crazy shit Dally wanted to do. There was no one better to blow off a little steam with than Two-Bit. </p><p>Dally wasn't exactly sure how they got the idea in their heads, but once it was out, Dally was hooked. Two-Bit was gonna moon one of the houses in their neighborhood. They went back and forth over who to moon but finally settled on Old Man Stewart. The Stewarts were older so the boys figured they could get away without being grabbed or nothing. Plus, Mr. Stewart had yelled at Dally for speeding in the neighborhood the week before and Dally was still a little hacked off about it. Two-Bit had no agenda. He just thought it'd be fun. </p><p>Two-Bit's car was on the fritz again, so Dally was driving Buck's car. Thanks to Darry practically dragging him to take the test, Dally now had an official license. On their way from the Dingo to the Stewarts, they made a plan of what to do. Two-Bit was gonna keep ringing the doorbell until someone appeared and then pull down his underwear and show off his ass before bolting back to the car. Dally had worried about how a tipsy Two-Bit was gonna get back to the car with his jeans around his ankles, but Two-Bit had solved that problem by shucking his pants clean off. They thought their plan was foolproof. Dallas would keep the car running and the door open so Two-Bit could just dive right in. </p><p>"You ready to do this?"</p><p>"Born ready," Two-Bit said. Dally laughed as he turned off his headlights and pulled slowly into the Stewart's driveway. Darry would probably kill him for driving without his lights on, but he couldn't risk waking the couple up before Two-Bit was in place. He watched as Two-Bit stumbled up to the front door.  The eighteen-year-old knocked on the door. At first, no one came, so Two-Bit knocked again. Dallas held his breath. Two-Bit must've heard someone coming because he turned around and bent over.</p><p>"What in God's name?" Mr. Stewart growled as Two-Bit pulled down his underwear to moon him. Two-Bit wiggled around a bit before letting out a yelp as Mr. Stewart grabbed him by the ear. Dally watched for a few seconds as Two-Bit twisted in Mr. Stewart's grasp, thankfully managing to get his underwear up. He waited to see if Mr. Stewart would start throwing punches, ready to jump in if needed. The two teenagers could easily handle Mr. Stewart but Dally shuddered at the thought of what Darry would do if they got into it with the man.</p><p>When Mr. Stewart pulled Two-Bit toward the house, Dallas figured the old man was calling the fuzz. He decided the best thing to do was to scram for now. He'd go to Buck's and see if he could get some money to bail Two-Bit out. He started driving toward Buck's when he remembered that the man was out of town racing for the weekend.</p><p>He was stuck. None of the boys had any money. He could try to hit up his old man, see if he was drunk enough to get some money off of, but God knows where he was. Dally didn't even know if he could get into his old man's house. It'd been so long since he'd been there that the bastard probably changed the locks by now. He could try to find Tim, but Shepard was hacked off at Dally recently for something that the seventeen-year-old couldn't remember. As much as he hated to admit it, Dally only had one option. </p><p>Shame that one option would end up with him sleeping on his stomach. </p>
<hr/><p>To say that Darry was surprised to see his neighbor standing on his doorstep at one AM would be an understatement. He was even more surprised to see the old man holding Two-Bit's collar with one hand and a switch with the other. Somehow he wasn't that surprised that Two-Bit wasn't wearing any pants.</p><p>"What happened?" Darry growled, steeling himself for whatever Mr. Stewart would say. Darry could smell the booze on the kid, but it looked like being dragged by the collar by Mr. Stewart had sobered him right up.</p><p>"Kid decided to moon me," Mr. Stewart growled, "There was another one with him. The surly looking kid. He was driving the getaway car. Peeled out before I could get my hands on him."</p><p>"I am so sorry, Mr. Stewart," Darry said, turning to glare at Two-Bit, "I assure you they'll both be dealt with."</p><p>"That's why I brought this," the older man said, holding out the switch to Darry, "I had half a mind to whip him myself while his backside was still hanging out. But I figure you're arm is stronger than mine nowadays."</p><p>Darry nodded. Mr. Stewart was in his mid seventies. While Darry didn't love the idea of anyone else disciplining his boys, it was pretty common in their neighborhood, at least for smaller kids. Mr. Stewart smacked Darry's backside a couple of times when they were younger. Pretty much all the neighbors that the Curtises were friendly with had smacked at least one of the Curtis brothers at some point. </p><p>"Can I say something?" Two-Bit asked.</p><p>"No," both Mr. Stewart and Darry said in unison. Just then, Darry saw Buck Merril's T-bird pull onto their street with Dally behind the wheel. </p><p>"Excuse me for a second," Darry said, walking toward the street to make sure Dally saw him and knew he was busted. As soon as he locked eyes with the kid, he curled his finger to gesture to Dallas to come join them. Darry barely waited for Dally to park the car before yanking open the door and pulling the kid out by the ear. </p><p>"Dar!" Dally yelped as he was dragged against his will toward the house.</p><p>"Stuff it," Darry barked, "It's the middle of the night and I don't wanna hear it."</p><p>When they made it back to where Mr. Stewart and Two-Bit were standing, Darry let go of Dallas. Dally's hand shot up to rub his abused ear and his face twisted into a scowl.</p><p>"You better wipe that look off your face before I do it for you," Darry ordered, satisfied when Dally softened his glare and pointed it at the ground instead.</p><p>"Seems like you got these boys under control," Mr. Stewart said, "I'd hate to be in their position right now."</p><p>"Yessir, these boys are gonna be mighty sorry," Darry said, "I have half a mind to whip them right out here."</p><p>Two-Bit didn't seem all that distraught at the threat, but Dally's head shot up and the kid looked furious at the thought.</p><p>"Like hell you will," Dally hissed.</p><p>"One," Darry said and Dallas once again glared at the ground. Mr. Stewart raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Darry turned to the older man, "The boys will be by tomorrow to apologize and do any chores you need done."</p><p>Dallas muttered something under his breath. Darry clenched his jaw to keep from hollering and waking up the whole neighborhood. He grabbed the seventeen-year-old and smacked his backside, hard. "That's two. Go wait for me in the garage."</p><p>"I'd do as he says, son," Mr. Stewart advised, "Your big brother looks mad."</p><p>Dally glared at both of them before shoving his hands in his jacket pocket and storming off toward the garage. Darry looked at Two-Bit who was standing their awkwardly. "Go with him. And take the switch with you."</p><p>Two-Bit sent Darry his best pout but took the offered switch from Mr. Stewart and trudged toward the garage behind Dally.</p><p>"I'm so sorry again, sir," Darry said, "I'd like to say it'll never happen again but you never know with these boys."</p><p>"Just give 'em a reason to think twice," Mr. Stewart said, "I know your Daddy taught you that."</p><p>"Yessir," Darry grinned, "I spent plenty of nights sleeping on my stomach to learn it."</p><p>"Yeah, so did I when I was their age," Mr. Stewart laughed, "Well, I better be heading back before Mrs. Stewart starts to worry."</p><p>"Good night, Mr. Stewart," Darry said, extending his hand to his neighbor, "I'll be by tomorrow with two very sorry boys."</p><p>"Goodnight, son," Mr. Stewart replied, squeezing Darry's hand warmly. As the older man walked away, Darry sat down on the porch with his head in his hands. It was times like these that he kinda wished he smoked because he could use something to calm himself down. He didn't think he was mad enough to need to wait till the next day before disciplining the boys. Darry didn't like making them wait overnight, if only for his own sake. He hated waking up thinking he had to start his day by handing out a punishment. </p><p>Once he felt like he could deal with his boys without losing his head, he went off to the garage. He wasn't furious anymore, but he was still frustrated. He decided to spank them with his hand before just giving them a few with the switch. That way, if his temper started to rise again, his stinging palm would remind him not to go too far. </p><p>"Do I need to bother lecturing or do y'all both know how stupid this was?" Darry asked as he walked into the garage. </p><p>"We know we messed up," Two-Bit mumbled.</p><p>"Good, cause it's nearing two in the morning and I ain't looking to waste any time," Darry said, "Two-Bit, since you're already pantsless, you can go first. Grab that stool and come over here. Dallas, go wait in the corner."</p>
<hr/><p>Two-Bit reluctantly trudged to the corner of the garage to get the stool. He'd been expecting to bend side by side with Dally over the sawhorse, but he could tell Darry wasn't in a mood to answer questions. He placed the stool in front of Darry and was surprised to see Darry take a seat on it.</p><p>"I'm gonna light you up with my hand before I use the switch," Darry said, answering Two-Bit's unspoken question. Two-Bit wanted to groan. He'd hoped that a switching would at least be fast. If Darry wanted to spank him first, they'd be there a while. Darry tapped his knee and Two-Bit reluctantly bent over Darry's lap. He knew it was coming but couldn't help but squirm when Darry pulled his underwear down to his knees.</p><p>Without warning, Darry started spanking firmly and quickly. "Of all the stupid, asinine pranks you've pulled, this has gotta be the top. I mean, what were you thinking?"</p><p>"So much for not lecturing, huh?" Two-Bit said without thinking.</p><p>"One," Darry said, smacking the tops of each of Two-Bit's thighs before continuing his lecture. "You're damn lucky Mr. Stewart grabbed a switch and not a shotgun."</p><p>"Ow, I'm sorry!" Two-Bit howled, deciding to change tactics as Darry continued to whup his ass.</p><p>"You damn well better be," Darry said,  "You ruined Mr. and Mrs. Stewarts night. You ruined my sleep. The only saving grace is that I didn't have to bail you out of jail tonight."</p><p>"Ow, ow, Darrrr, owww!" Two-Bit cried, wanting more than anything to get off Darry's lap. His big brother was pissed and was certainly making it known in his swing. </p><p>"Hand me the switch," Darry said, pausing his hand but keeping it on Two-Bit's sore ass. Two-Bit wiped at his eyes to clear his vision enough to see that switch lying on the ground next to him. Reluctantly, he handed it over, hoping that Darry wouldn't catch on to what happened to the switch. </p><p>"You're getting six licks," Darry said, whipping it through the air threateningly before tapping it on Two-Bit's ass, "Which one of you messed with the switch?"</p><p>"Huh?" Two-Bit sniffled, playing dumb. </p><p>"There's a bunch little breaks in it," Darry said, "I don't know what your angle was but it didn't work."</p><p>Two-Bit didn't say anything, not wanting to admit his guilt. He'd hoped that Darry would whack him once with the switch, it would break, and Darry would drop the whole switching idea. Not his best plan in hindsight, but honestly, not his worst.</p><p>"I guess I'll take that as an answer," Darry said. Two-Bit heard the crack of the switch snapping and then felt Darry bring down a small piece of the branch on his thighs.</p><p>"Owwww," Two-Bit howled as Darry lit up his legs, "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"</p><p>"Get up," Darry ordered, pulling up the kid's underwear. Two-Bit complied, wiping his face with one hand and rubbing his legs with the other. Darry sighed. "Go cut me another switch."</p><p>"Dar!" Two-Bit whined.</p><p>"No, Keith, I don't wanna hear it," Darry said firmly. "If you didn't want to go fetch one, you shouldn't have messed with the one I had. Now go."</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit sniffled, dragging himself out of the garage and into the house, his ass smarting something fierce. He was at least glad it was the middle of the night and no one was around to see his red face and red legs. His blade was in his jeans pocket in Dal's car, so he grabbed a knife from the kitchen before trudging back outside. Quickly, he cut a thin branch of one of the trees out front and stripped all the pointy parts off like he'd seen Old Man Stewart do. </p><p>When he made it back to the garage, Darry had Dally over his knee and was whaling on the kid's butt. Two-Bit bit his bottom lip. He'd never seen Dally over Darry's knee before. They'd been punished together, sure, but either they were bent over something or Two-Bit was standing in the corner waiting his turn. He'd seen Ponyboy, Soda, and Steve all get thrown over Darry's knee right in the living room, but it had never happened to Dally. It was weird to see his usually aloof friend bare-assed and bent over somebody's knee.</p><p>"Gimme the switch and go wait in the corner," Darry ordered, breaking Two-Bit out of his thoughts. The eighteen-year-old handed over the intact switch and went over to the corner Dally had vacated. Even after a few minutes pause, Two-Bit still felt like he'd sat on a hot stove. He wanted to rub his sore butt and legs, but wasn't willing to risk getting anymore with the switch. Damnit, why'd he have to go and mess with the damn thing? His punishment would already have been over by now if he hadn't.</p><p>After what seemed like forever, the deafening sound of Darry's palm meeting Dally's backside finally stopped. Dally hadn't made any noise, but Two-Bit knew the other teen had to be feeling it.</p><p>"Six and then we're done," Darry said, whipping the new switch through the air. At least if this one broke, Two-Bit knew it wasn't his fault. After a few seconds, he heard the whoosh-crack of the switch coming down.</p><p>"Ahhh," Dally gasped when the switch came down. Two-Bit had never heard his friend verbally respond to a whupping before. That did not bode well for him. As the switch fell again, Two-Bit didn't know whether to feel bad for his friend or worry about his own ass. The switch wasn't as loud as the belt, but the noise seemed more threatening. Like it would bite into your skin and take the flesh right off. His mom has threatened him with a switch when he was younger, but being on the receiving end from Darry was so much scarier.</p><p>Two-Bit heard Darry deliver the remaining licks to Dally's backside before dropping the switch on the ground. Dally wasn't wailing or anything, but Two-Bit could hear him breathing heavily and would bet he was probably at least tearing up. Two-Bit never really felt the need to held back tears around Darry, so he figured he'd be bawling by the time they were done.</p><p>Two-Bit could hear the shuffling of Dally getting up off Darry's knee. Darry talked quietly to him for a minute. Two-Bit couldn't make out what was said but the tone sounded reassuring. After a little while, he heard footsteps and the door open and shut. Two-Bit was surprised at that. Usually they were all in trouble till everyone was done being punished.</p><p>Darry cleared his throat. Two-Bit immediately stood up straighter, knowing what was coming. "Come here, Keith."</p><p>Two-Bit made his way over to Darry, fighting the urge to cover his backside with his hands. Damn, this was gonna hurt. He gave Darry his best sad face to try to soften him up.</p><p>"You know, you would've been done by now if you hadn't tried to get out of your punishment," Darry said, crossing his arms, "Then you'd be inside with Dal instead of out here waiting on the switch."</p><p>"Yessir," Two-Bit said, resigning himself to his fate. </p><p>"Alright, let's get this done so we can all go to bed," Darry said, pulling Two-Bit over his knee. He tapped the switch down twice before cracking it down across the top of Two-Bit's butt. Two-Bit howled like he'd just been branded. It felt like a line of bees had attacked his already sore ass. </p><p>"Owww!" Two-Bit yelled as a second lick came down a few inches below the first. He really, really hoped Darry was gonna stop at six and not give him any extra.</p><p>"No more middle of the night pranks." Darry said, bringing the switch down a third and fourth time.</p><p>"No more!" Two-Bit said, not entirely sure if he was agreeing with what Darry was saying or begging for the licks to end. Darry brought the switch down twice more before tossing it to the side.</p><p>"That's it. We're done," Darry said, patting Two-Bit's back comfortingly. He felt Darry pull his underwear back up and hissed as the material crossed his striped backside. He'd rather leave them off and walk around bare assed, but he didn't think Darry would like that much. </p><p>"C'mon, we both need to go to bed," Darry said, helping Two-Bit to stand and pulling him into a hug. Two-Bit was more than ready to cry the pain out in Darry's chest. He held onto Darry with one arm and rubbed his butt with the other. </p><p>"Can you burn that thing?" Two-Bit muttered, glaring at the hated switch lying on the ground.</p><p>"Tell you what, you and Dal can do whatever you want with it tomorrow," Darry said.</p><p>"Kindling it is," Two-Bit grinned, thinking he'd like to break the thing into a million little pieces.</p><p>As the two walked back into the house, Two-Bit noticed Darry shaking out his hand. He smirked at his brother. "Sore?"</p><p>"Yeah, but not as sore as you," Darry said, turning on the faucet in the kitchen and sticking his hand under the water.</p><p>"No fair!" Two-Bit mock whined, "If we don't get ice for our asses, you shouldn't be able to cool off your hand."</p><p>"Last time I checked, I didn't moon the neighbors or drive the getaway car."</p>
<hr/><p>"You whipped them with a switch?" Steve asked, looking shocked. Dally glared at him. The last thing he wanted was to discuss it with all the boys.</p><p>"Mm-hmm," Darry said, not even looking up from the paper. Bastard. He wanted to hate the man, but once again, he couldn't. Not after how nice Darry was to him the night before. Two-Bit had announced that he was calling dibs on a spot in Darry's bed whether Darry liked it or not, so Dally had spent the night on the couch. He didn't fight it, glad to have the space to lick his wounds in private. As Dal was getting settled on his stomach, Darry came and covered him up with a blanket. The older boy had sat with Dallas, telling him that although he hadn't been happy about the prank, he was real impressed that Dally came to him for help getting out of a sticky situation. Said it showed courage and maturity. Dally had shrugged it off, embarrassed, but had secretly basked in the praise. </p><p>"Y'all gotta show us," Soda said, looking wide eyed. </p><p>"No way in hell," Dally growled, ready to start swinging.</p><p>"Not sure if you girls can handle seeing the damage. My ass is all bruised and bloody," Two-Bit joked.</p><p>"It is not," Darry said, finally looking up, "You only got six licks with it and I didn't hit you all that hard."</p><p>"Easy for you to say," Two-Bit pouted, "Your old man never used a switch on you."</p><p>"No, but our Nana did once and I was a lot younger than y'all," Darry said.</p><p>"When was this? I don't remember it," Ponyboy asked.</p><p>"That's 'cause you weren't even born yet. I was only about six. Soda and I were staying with Nana and Pop for the weekend. Nana told me I couldn't have a cookie til after dinner, but when her back was turned, I shoved one in my mouth. Boy, was she livid. Held the back of my overalls in one hand and switched me with the other." Darry said, miming the action, "Never did that again."</p><p>"Hey, I remember your Nana," Two-Bit said, "She was sweet as could be. I bet she barely tapped you with that thing."</p><p>"Believe what you want," Darry replied, rolling his eyes, "But I still know you ain't hurt that bad."</p><p>"Only one way to find out," Steve grinned. </p><p>Two-Bit smirked and sauntered to the middle of the living room where all the boys could see. Clearly loving being the center of attention, he dramatically pulled down his pant and underwear, wiggling his bare ass in front of his brothers.</p><p>"Ouch," Ponyboy commiserated. Two-Bit's whole ass was still red from Darry's palm with the switch marks standing darker than the rest. Dally knew that his did look much better, but at least his legs weren't as red. He'd told Two-Bit it was a stupid idea to try to break the switch.</p><p>"Jesus, Two-Bit, put that away," Darry complained, "I thought our conversation woulda taught you something."</p><p>"Gotta give the people what they want," Two-Bit said, but pulled up his pants before turning to Dally. He turned to Dally. "Your turn."</p><p>"Not on your life," Dally said, shooting a glare at Two-Bit, "The only person I take my pants down on command for is Sylvie."</p><p>"And Darry," Johnny said softly. Dally clenched his jaw. If it were anyone else, he'd be swinging, but he couldn't clock Johnny. He did give the kid a good thump on the arm before tuning and doing the same to Steve, just for starting this whole conversation. Both hits were hard enough to hurt, but light enough to not get Darry involved. Hopefully.</p><p>The last thing Dally needed was another run in with Darry and that damn switch.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Getting Away with It</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A collection of incidents of the boys misbehaving and getting away with it (for the most part)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Remind me to give you a spanking tonight when I get home,” Darry said, frowning at Ponyboy. The youngest Curtis had just handed Darry a note from school. He knew that right before Darry had to leave for work was the worst time possible, but still he'd waited till the last minute. It wasn't that he hadn't tried to give it to Darry, he just hadn't mustered up the courage. What fourteen year old wanted to hand over a note that meant his butt was gonna be on the firing line?</p><p>"What'd you do?" Soda asked around a mouthful of toast. </p><p>"He copped an attitude with his history teacher," Darry replied, sounding exasperated.</p><p>"It wasn't that bad! Mrs. Kelly was just real sore all period."</p><p>"Well, you're gonna be real sore tonight. You know you're supposed to give me notes right away," Darry scolded, "I mighta just let you get away with writing an apology letter, but now I'm gonna hafta spank you."</p><p>"Dar!" Pony whined. He hadn't imagined he could've gotten out of a whupping for this. Darry was big on respect. </p><p>"Save it, I gotta get to work," Darry said, grabbing his stuff and heading for the door, "Make sure you come right home after school. Soda, do up the dishes."</p><p>"Yessir," Pony mumbled and Soda nodded, clearly not wanting to get on his brother's shit list when Darry was already in a mood.</p><p>All Pony could think about that day was the butt warming he was gonna get that evening. He spent his lunch hour writing an apology letter to his teacher, hoping to earn some brownie points with Darry after school. He'd been on his best behavior lately, not getting a spanking in over a month. With the way he and Darry battled sometimes, that was practically unheard of. </p><p>Pony told the boys he couldn't go to the Dingo that afternoon and had Two-Bit drop him at home on their way.  He immediately started to do his homework, determined to be hard at work when Darry got home. Soda got home first and after saying hello to Pony, headed off to the shower. </p><p>"Heya, Ponybaby," Darry said when he walked in the door carrying a two bags of groceries. He set them down on the table, before grinning and ruffling Ponyboy's hair.</p><p>"What's got you in such a good mood?" Soda asked, coming into the kitchen half-dressed.</p><p>"I finally got that cute cashier, Patty, to give me her number," Darry said, waving a little slip of paper in front of the boys.</p><p>"What a day! You finally found a girl willing to ignore all those frown lines," Soda quipped. </p><p>"Congrats, Dar," Ponyboy said, quietly, "Uh, I'm almost done my homework and then I'm gonna start dinner."</p><p>"Nah, it's a special occasion," Darry said, "Lemme get a shower and then I'll take y'all to the Tasty Freeze."</p><p>Soda cheered and ran to get dressed, leaving Pony confused as to what just happened. Did Darry forget what had happened that morning? Darry never forgot to give a whupping. Ever. </p><p>As the night went on, Ponyboy was curious as to what was happening. Darry just seemed to be in a genuinely good mood. Pony loved his big brother, but Darry was always at least a little bit grumpy. Pony hadn't seen him this carefree in a while. As they ate their burgers and ice creams, Ponyboy started to relax. Darry wasn't one for mind games, and it seemed like he had genuinely forgot.</p><p>"So why did Darry decide not to blister you?" Soda asked as they were lying in their bed that night.</p><p>"Uh, I think he just forgot," Ponyboy said, the words sounding crazy to his ears.</p><p>"You're kidding," Soda said, disbelieving. "He's sure never forgotten to skin me."</p><p>"You gotta swear on your life you won't remind him," Ponyboy implored, "Swear it!"</p><p>"I dunno," Soda grinned, "Can't having you think it's okay to back sass teachers."</p><p>"Sooooddddaaa," Ponyboy whined, pouting at his brother.</p><p>"Okay, okay, fine," Soda laughed, "As long as you never tell him about me scratching the truck last month."</p><p>"Deal."</p>
<hr/><p>"Bend," Darry said, gesturing with the wooden spoon to the one clear spot on the counter. Before he'd left for work, Darry had told Two-Bit to clean up whatever mad science project he'd been doing in the kitchen the night before. Now, Darry was home and the kitchen still wasn't clean. </p><p>"C'mon Dar, let's be reasonable,"Two-Bit said, hands up, backing away from Darry. "I'll clean it up."</p><p>"Yes, you will," Darry said, "After I bust your ass for not doing it earlier." The only thing that kept the house running even close to smoothly was Darry's ability to give orders and back them up with a sore ass if they weren't followed. Otherwise, it would be mayhem. Well, more mayhem than it already was.</p><p>"Can't you just let me off? It's not like the kitchen is going anywhere," Two-Bit pleaded, "And you used to love making messes. Remember when we were kids and we shook up soda bottles and sprayed them at each other."</p><p>Darry felt the corner of his mouth creep up at the memory before he could school itself. Damnit! That meant it was a lost cause with Two-Bit. He'd showed weakness.</p><p>"You're not gonna like it if I have to come get you," Darry said, trying to force himself to stay firm.</p><p>"Can't get me if you can't catch me," Two-Bit said, grinning maniacally. Darry reached for him but Two-Bit skidded out of his grasp and bolting out of the house. Instead of chasing him, Darry simply locked the front door. He knew Two-Bit would be begging to come back inside in less than ten minutes. </p><p>As Darry suspected, it wasn't five minutes before he heard Two-Bit's voice. "C'mon, Dar, lemme back in."</p><p>"Not home," Darry called, earning a snort from Sodapop and Steve.</p><p>"Soda? Pony? Steve?" Two-Bit tried, "Can somebody at least bring me a beer?"</p><p>"Don't you dare," Darry said to no one in particular.</p><p>"Can I at least come in to pee?" Two-Bit asked</p><p>"Go pee at the gas station," Darry said.</p><p>"I left my keys inside," Two-Bit whined.</p><p>"You've got legs."</p><p>Darry listened to Two-Bit complain for ten or so more minutes before heading into the kitchen. He was intending to grab the wooden spoon to give Two-Bit the what-for, but then he noticed the broom in the corner. Darry figured since Two-Bit was already out there, the garage could use a good sweeping. His father had assigned Darry that punishment before, and it wasn't as easy as it seemed. Two-Bit would have to take out all the clutter, sweep, and put everything back. It would take at least an hour, maybe two.</p><p>"You finally realized you missed me too much?" Two-Bit said, lounging on the bench on the porch.</p><p>"Something like that," Darry said, "I did decide not to whup your backside." </p><p>"I knew you'd come to your senses," Two-Bit grinned.</p><p>"Yep, and since I know how much you love cleaning, I figured I'd do you a favor and let you sweep the garage." Darry said, handing the kid a broom. He had to chuckle at the grimace on the kid's face.</p><p>"Is it too late to take the whupping?" Two-Bit asked, "I'll clean up the kitchen too."</p><p>"Kitchen's not going anywhere." </p>
<hr/><p>"Y'all are late," Darry said, looking up from the paper.</p><p>"Only by twenty minutes," Soda said, wrapping his arm around a nervous looking Johnny. He'd promised the kid he'd talk Darry out of whupping them for this. </p><p>"I told y'all I wanted you home by 10 tonight," Darry said. Tim had got word the Socs were planning something and Darry had said they all needed to be either there or at their own homes by 10 until further notice.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Dar," Johnny said, "It was my fault. I was talking to a girl at the Dingo and I lost track of time. Soda had tell me it was time to go."</p><p>Soda watched as Darry's face softened. Johnny's puppy dog face was phase one of his plan. Darry turned to Soda, "And why did you wait so long to go get him?"</p><p>Damn, Soda was hoping Darry wouldn't ask that. "They're might've been a pretty girl I was talking to as well."</p><p>Darry crossed his arms, "When I give you a curfew, I intend for you to stick to it."</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny said.</p><p>"Johnny, come here," Darry said, moving the paper from his lap to the floor. </p><p>"C'mon, Dar, no!" Soda said, "Don't you remember what it's like to be young and in love?"</p><p>To Soda's surprise, Darry laughed at that. "How old do you think I am, Sodapop?"</p><p>"Y'know what I mean," Soda said, grinning. Darry laughing meant he wasn't smacking.</p><p>"I oughta take you over my knee just for that," Darry said. </p><p>"Does that mean you're not gonna skin us?" Soda asked, hopefully.</p><p>"I really should," Darry said, getting a little more serious, "I told y'all to be here by 10."</p><p>"We won't break curfew again," Johnny said, giving a little pout, "Promise!" </p><p>"Fine, but y'all in here at eight the next two days."</p><p>"Yessir," Johnny said hurriedly. Soda smiled ear to ear. With his ability to make Darry laugh and Johnny's kicked puppy look, they could be unstoppable. He just had to convince Ponyboy to swap best friends.</p>
<hr/><p>"Who's been smoking in here?" Darry grumbled as he walked into the house. Steve forced himself not to glance at Dally. They'd been smoking in the car on the way over and had continued inside, not thinking about the rule and that they'd already broken it before. </p><p>Their butts were toast. Darry hated when they did stuff they'd already been punished for.</p><p>"It was me, Dar," Sodapop said, sitting on the couch in his towel. Steve shot him a look. What the hell was he doing? </p><p>"You?" Darry asked, narrowing his eyes. </p><p>"Yeah, I got reamed out by a customer and I wanted a smoke," Soda said with a shrug, "I forgot the rule."</p><p>Steve didn't know what to do. He could confess, but then Soda would be caught in a lie. Darry really hated lying and that might earn Soda more than smoking in the house would.</p><p>"Alright, c'mere, Sodapop," Darry said, still sounding a little disbelieving. Soda came over to Darry. Steve winced as Darry bent Soda over and flipped up his towel. With Darry distracted, Steve risked a glance at Dally, who looked as stricken as Steve felt. Luckily, Darry only smacked him twice before letting him go. "Be more careful next time, kid."</p><p>"Yessir," Soda said, rubbing his ass. Darry walked off toward his bedroom and Steve sent Soda a sheepish look. Dally apparently had another idea in mind as he smacked Soda upside the head.</p><p>"Ow, what was that for?" Soda complained.</p><p>"You didn't hafta take the fall for us," Dally whispered.</p><p>"I only got two smacks," Soda said, rolling his eyes, "Darry would've torn y'all up for doing it again."  </p><p>"Thanks, man," Steve said, "We owe you, big time."</p><p>"You sure do," Soda said with a grin, "And I'm cashing in. Darry wants me to clean the gutters this weekend, but it looks like y'all will be doing it instead."</p>
<hr/><p>Twelve-year-old Darry was sitting on his bed, waiting for his Dad to get home and spank him. His simple prank on Sodapop had gone so very wrong. He'd put blue food dye in the shampoo bottle, hoping to turn Soda's hair a funny color. How was he supposed to know that his Mom's clairol bottle would run out and she'd use some of the kids shampoo? </p><p>"Hello, dear, how was your--ohh my," Darry heard his father say, "What happened to your hair?"</p><p>"Your oldest son happened," Darry's mom said, "He put food dye in the baby shampoo and when I used it, it turned my hair green!"</p><p>"Oh dear," Darrel Sr. said, "Do I need to bury the body?" Darry relaxed a little at that. At least his Dad didn't sound mad.</p><p>"This isn't funny!" Maggie complained, "Not only do I look ridiculous, but he ruined a perfectly good bottle of shampoo."</p><p>"I'll have a talk with him," Darry's father said, "Where is he?"</p><p>"I sent him to his room to wait for you," Maggie said, "You need to do more than talk to him."</p><p>"Alright, I'll send him to bed." Darry hoped more than anything that an early bedtime was his only punishment. </p><p>"Darrel!" Mrs. Curtis scolded, "Look what he did to my hair! He needs a spanking."</p><p>"I'll handle it," Darrel Sr. replied. Hearing his father's footsteps coming closer, Darry straightened up. He didn't like the sound of that. </p><p>"Hey, kid," Darry's father said, coming into the bedroom, "Heard you got yourself into some trouble."</p><p>"Yessir, I'm sorry," Darry replied, looking at his feet. </p><p>"I bet you are," Mr. Curtis nodded, sitting down next to Darry, "Your mother is awfully upset."</p><p>"I never meant for her to use the shampoo!" Darry promised. "Mom always makes Soda take a shower on Fridays after he goes and helps with Mr. Johnson's horses."</p><p>"I know, bud. I played pranks like that when I was your age too," Mr. Curtis replied, "But Mom's still pretty upset. She's insisting you need a spanking."</p><p>"Yessir," Darry said, knowing arguing wouldn't do any good.</p><p>"Lucky for you, I don't think that's necessary. I think maybe just this once we can pretend I gave you a spanking."</p><p>"Really?" Darry said, his face lighting up.</p><p>"Yeah," his father said quietly, "I'll clap my hands so it sounds like I'm spanking you, and you yell out a few times, and then your Mom'll be none the wiser. Deal?"</p><p>"Deal!" Darry said excitedly.</p><p>"I'm very disappointed in you, Darrel Shayne," Mr. Curtis said loudly, all low and stern like he would when Darry was actually in trouble, "Now bend over."</p><p>"Sorry, Dad!" Darry said, just as loud.</p><p>Darrel Sr. winked at the boy, then clapped his hands together loudly. He continued doing that for a minute or so before speaking again. "You need to be more careful when you pull pranks."</p><p>"Owww, yessir," Darry whined, holding back a giggle. His father started clapping again. After a while his father nodded at him and Darry knew what to do. "Daaaaaad, that hurts!"</p><p>"It's supposed to hurt," Darrel Sr. said, not pausing in his clapping. Darry was sure glad his butt wasn't actually on the firing line for this. He started yelling in earnest, letting out a string of ows as his father kept pretend smacking him.</p><p>"Ten more," Darrel Sr. said, and Darry continued to howl through the ten loud claps. His father gave him such a goofy grin that Darry almost started laughing. Both Curtises did eventually start giggling quietly. Darry hoped his mom would mistake the giggling for sniffling. </p><p>"You gotta go out there sniffling and rubbing your butt so your mom thinks you're actually sore," Darrel Sr. said softly, "Cause both our butts are on the firing line if she finds out."</p><p>Darry stuck his tongue out at his father at that. "Mom ain't gonna spank <em>you.</em>"</p><p>"No, but I might be sleeping on the couch for a long while," Darrel grinned, before raising his voice a little, "Now go apologize to your mother, young man!"</p><p>Darry did his best to look pitiful as he walked into the kitchen to find his mother. "I'm sorry, Mom."</p><p>"Uh huh," Darry's mom said, "You two are not nearly as good of actors as you think you are." </p><p>"I don't know what you're talking about, dear," Darrel Sr. tried.</p><p>"I oughta take my spoon to the both of you," Maggie shot back, "My hair is ruined and you let him off scott-free."</p><p>"C'mon, hun, you have to admit, the green hair is a little funny."</p><p>"Funny, huh? We'll see how funny you find it when I let you two give Ponyboy his bath tonight. I'm done with shampoo for the day."</p><p>Darry's eyes went wide. Ponyboy <em>hated</em> taking a bath. The only one who could manage give the five-year-old a bath was his mom, due to her no-nonsense attitude about it. </p><p>Trying to get Ponyboy to get a bath might just be worse than a spanking.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another lighthearted chapter, but don't worry, I've got some angst in the works. </p><p>Big shoutout to everyone who has commented on this work. I love hearing what y'all think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. No Place For Kids</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Shoutout to Fessst and Emily who requested Ponyboy getting in trouble with Dally. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Great. Just fuckin' great. This was just what Dally needed. Why in the ever-loving hell were the Curtis brat and the Shepard brat hanging around Buck's? Dally felt like knocking their heads together. He settled for grabbing them by the collars and giving them each a good shake.</p><p>"The fuck are you two doing here?" He growled at the both, but his eyes were fixed on Ponyboy. Curly Shepard was a little young for this crowd, but he was just as wild. Ponyboy was the one Dally was worried about.</p><p>"Leave us alone!" Curly grumbled and Dally slapped him hard across the side of the head.</p><p>"Shut up or next time it won't be your head I smack," Dally threatened, keeping a grip on Curly's collar so he couldn't bolt.</p><p>"You wouldn't dare," Curly hissed.</p><p>"Try me," Dally said, satisfied when Curly shut up and glared at the ground. "Both of you, outside." </p><p>Dally pointed at the door and both kids trudged toward it, looking like they were heading to their death. Anyone watching might think that Dally was taking them outside to kick the crap out of them, but that wasn't gonna happen.</p><p>"You mad?" Ponyboy asked once they were outside.</p><p>"Am I mad?" Dally repeated, unbelieving, "Am I mad? You bet your ass I'm mad. You're fourteen-damn-years old. You don't need to be hanging out with these low-lifes."</p><p>"You were hanging out at places like this when you were our age," Ponyboy argued. Dally grabbed the kid by the front of his t-shirt and yanked him close.</p><p>"Now is <em>not </em>the time to be getting mouthy with me." </p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy squeaked, his eyes going wide. Curly snorted at the title.</p><p>"You got something to say?" Dally asked, letting go of Pony and turning to Curly.</p><p>"Yeah, what gives you the right to tell us what to do? You ain't the boss of us."</p><p>"I don't think either of your big brothers would mind me dragging you out of here," Dally said, pulling out a cigarette to calm down. He was pissed, but he couldn't take a swing at either of the two punks. Tim might not mind, as long as the kid deserved it, but Darry would for sure whale the tar out of him.</p><p>"You gonna tell Darry?" Ponyboy asked nervously.</p><p>"'Course I am," Dally said, "And Tim too."</p><p>"I ain't afraid of Timmy," Curly scoffed.</p><p>"Yeah, right," Dally said, rolling his eyes. "Now both of you sit right here on the step. I'm going to call Tim and Darry to come get both of your dumb asses. </p><p>"Darry picked up a job fixing a buddy's roof in Collinsville. He's crashing there for the weekend," Ponyboy said, with a hint of smugness. Dally glared at him, not liking the kid's tone.</p><p>"I'm sure Sodapop is perfectly capable of whupping your behind," Dally said, "Both of y'all stay here or I swear to God I'll beat the daylights out of you."</p><p>With that, Dally strode back inside to use the bar's phone. He almost broke the dial right off when he was dialing the number to the Curtis house.When no one answered, he slammed the phone back down and called Tim.</p><p>"Hello?" a female voice answered.</p><p>"Put your brother on the phone."</p><p>"Hello to you too, Dallas," Angela said, "Tim ain't home."</p><p>"Where's he at?" Dally asked impatiently, "I need him to pick up your brat kid brother from Buck's."</p><p>"Tim's out with some skank," Angela said, "I'll come pick Curly up."</p><p>"You?" Dally asked skeptically, "How do I know y'all both won't just fuck off and head to another bar."</p><p>"I don't know if you know this," Angela said, slowing her voice down as if Dally were stupid, "But I don't exactly go around town with my baby brother. Kinda hard to find any action with some wild-eyed greaser in tow."</p><p>"Fine, but one of y'all better tell Tim when he gets home."</p><p>"On my way," Angela said, hanging up the phone. Dally could almost hear the eye roll. </p><p>Dally dialed the Curtises again but still no answer. He even called Two-Bit's house to see if he could track down Soda, but no answer there either.  He just wanted to hand the kid off to Sodapop and be done with it. It seemed cruel to just take Ponyboy home and make him wait for Soda to get home and whup his ass, but it looked like that was gonna hafta happen.</p><p>The Shepards didn't live far from there, so by the time Dally got back out, Angela was already pulling up in her Mom's car. </p><p>"Hey dipshit, get in the car," Angela yelled, rolling down her window.</p><p>"Fuck off, Angie," Curly said, but was already getting up and heading to the car. Dally almost hoped he put up a fight so he could kick the kid's ass all the way to the car.</p><p>"Hey, Ponyboy," Angela said sweetly, batting her eyelashes, "You need a ride home?</p><p>"He's fine," Dally said before the kid could get a word out. Ponyboy was too naive to be talking to a girl like Angela Shepard. Angela was too like Dally for her own good.</p><p>"You alright, Ponyboy?" Angela asked, her tone and expression abruptly changing. "Need me to get one of your brothers?"</p><p>"I'm fine, really," Pony assured, "Dally ain't gonna hurt me."</p><p>"He'll be fine," Dally said, "You can sic Tim after me if he ain't."</p><p>"You bet I will," Angela said studying the kid for a minute.</p><p>"Can we go?" Curly whined from the passenger seat.</p><p>"You better get that kid out of here before I bash his head in," Dally growled.</p><p>"Don't worry, Tim's probably gonna do it for you."</p><hr/><p>As Angela and Curly pulled away, Ponyboy felt himself start to shiver. Must've been the cold night. "Soda coming to get me?"</p><p>"Nobody's answering at your house. I'm gonna call again but I don't want you out here by yourself. God only knows what trouble you'd get yourself into."</p><p>Ponyboy followed Dally back into the bar. When he came in an hour earlier with Curly, he'd felt nervous and excited. Now, he was just nervous.</p><p>"Sit there," Dally ordered, pointing to an empty stool at the bar. Pony watched as Dally went behind the bar to call Soda. Ponyboy couldn't believe that Dally was only 17. He was so cool and confident. Apparently Dally reached somebody, but Pony couldn't hear what he was saying over the Hank Williams blasting in the bar. After a few minutes, Dally hung up the phone and walked over to Ponyboy. "Upstairs. Now."</p><p>Ponyboy didn't have time to argue as Dally gripped his bicep and yanked him off the stool. Dally half-dragged him up the steps and into the bedroom that Dally lived in more often than not.</p><p>"Here's the score," Dally began, "That was Two-Bit on the phone. He and Johnny stopped by to see what you were up to. Soda and Steve are still out somewhere."</p><p>"Okay," Pony said, not knowing where Dally was going with this.</p><p>"So me and Two-Bit decided that I'm gonna whup you."</p><p>"What?" Ponyboy exclaimed. Dally had tanned Johnny once, but Dally and Johnny were real close. Pony hadn't actually expected to ever get whupped by Dal.</p><p>"You heard me well and good," Dally said glaring, "I'm gonna tan your ass for coming to Buck's with Curly. We both know that's what Darry would do." </p><p>"We could just wait for Darry?" Ponyboy offered. Usually he didn't like waiting for a punishment, but the situation was unnerving. Darry was pretty harsh on the older boys, using his belt and all. What if Dally wanted to use his belt?</p><p>"You shouldn't have fucked around in the place where I live if you didn't want me involved," Dally said, rolling his eyes. That was fair enough. Didn't mean Pony had to like it though.</p><p>"Darry's never whipped me before," Ponyboy blurted out. "Just...uh...so you know."</p><p>"I wasn't planning to whip you," Dally said, "You seem to get the message fine and dandy with a trip over Darry's knee so that's exactly what I'm gonna do. Now stay here."</p><p>Pony watched as Dally strode from the room down the hall. The older boy disappeared into another room for a moment before coming out with a hairbrush in hand. Ponyboy's heart sped up. He did not wanna feel that thing across his ass. </p><p>"Dal, please, I'm sorry," Ponyboy tried as Dally came into the room. The older boy sat down on the bed and put the hairbrush on the bed next to him. </p><p>"Yeah right," Dally scoffed, "If I hadn't caught you, you'd still be downstairs living it up with Curly-fuckin'-Shepard. Am I wrong?"</p><p>Ponyboy didn't know how to respond to that so he stared down at his shoes.</p><p>"Yeah, that's what I thought," Dally said, "I know Darry and Sodapop have both told you to stay away from this place and now I'm telling you too. This ain't a place for kids."</p><p>"Ain't a kid!" Ponyboy argued, immediately regretting it when Dally thumped him on the side of the head.</p><p>"You are damn too a kid," Dally said, as Ponyboy rubbed his head, "A kid who's about to have a sore ass. C'mere."</p><p>Ponyboy shuffled forward to stand in front of Dally. As soon as he was close enough, Dally pulled Ponyboy's pants down and yanked the kid over his knee. Ponyboy shifted around to find a more comfortable position. God, why did all the boys think it was okay to just beat his ass whenever they felt like it?</p><p>"Oww," Ponyboy whined indignantly when Dally smacked him, mostly out of shock. Dally hadn't given him any warning, just started smacking. </p><p>"I'm leaving your drawers up since I don't really feel like lookin' at your bare ass," Dally said, "But if you keep whining like a brat, I might change my mind."</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy replied as Dally continued to spank him.</p><p>"You don't have to call me 'sir,'" Dally said, "I ain't Darry."</p><p>"Yessir," Pony repeated automatically. He'd been taught since he was a little kid always to say 'sir' and 'ma'am' to adults. be Dally wasn't technically an adult, but Pony had learned to use 'sir' with whoever was punishing him. It usually helped get him off Darry's knee quicker.</p><p>"There are a whole hell of a lot of things I'd rather be doing right now than whupping your ass," Dally said, "But I'd rather whup your ass than peel it off the floor." </p><p>Ponyboy caught himself before saying another 'yessir' and nodded instead. His ass was heating up with all the strikes Dally was landing and he didn't want to annoy Dal any further. </p><p>"Darry's warned you about this place. Soda's warned you. I've warned you. Even Two-Bit's warned you," Dally said, "So why don't you fuckin' listen?"</p><p>"I'm sorry!" Ponyboy cried as Dally smacked his legs.</p><p>"You're gonna be," Dally said, sounding just like Darry in that moment, "You and Curly been drinking?"</p><p>"No, Dal, swear it!" Ponyboy said. If Darry thought he'd been drinking, Ponyboy might never sit down again.</p><p>"Alright, relax, I believe you," Dal replied. Ponyboy thought it was pretty hard to relax when you were getting your tail lit up. "Leave the drinking to me and Two-Bit. You don't need to be picking up any bad habits."</p><p>Ponyboy tried to hold still but it was getting increasingly harder. Dally's palm landed on Pony's butt and thighs, with his long bony fingers catching Pony's hip and the outside of his right leg. Pony knew he should be at least glad Dally left his briefs up, but even through the underwear, the swats stung like crazy.</p><p>"I'm sorrrrrrrryyyyy," Ponyboy tried again, hoping to get Dally to ease up. Dally didn't respond, just kept slapping till Ponyboy was truly, truly sorry.</p><p>Finally, Dally paused. "If I catch you here again, I'm gonna take this brush to your little ass right there in front of everybody."</p><p>"No, Dal, no brush!" Ponyboy cried, trying desperately to climb off Dally's lap. He didn't even register Dally's threat to take him to task in front of everyone. All he was worried about was his butt and the imminent beating it was about to receive. </p><p>"Stop that," Dally ordered, bringing down the brush with a thwack. If Ponyboy had any modesty left, he'd have been glad that the music was so loud that no one downstairs would hear the brush and the wails he let out in response. The following hits weren't as hard as the first, but Ponyboy could barely tell. He cried his heart out as Dally pounded his butt with the brush. </p><p>"Never again, Ponyboy," Dally scolded over Pony's wails.</p><p>"Neh-vuh," Ponyboy sobbed. He'd only gotten a few punishments from Darry that topped this.</p><p>"Alright, kid, easy," Dally said. Ponyboy vaguely registered the sound of Dally dropping the brush on the floor and felt himself slump over Dally's knee.</p><p>"Huuuurts," Ponyboy whined.</p><p>"Yeah, dummy, it's supposed to," Dally chuckled. "But I'm sure you learned your lesson good."</p><p>Ponyboy couldn't argue with that. He never <em>ever</em> wanted to be in this position again. Of course, he said that just about every time Darry whupped him and he still found himself over Darry's knee again and again. Pony took a few calming breaths to steady himself before trying to get off of Dally's lap. Embarrassed, he quickly pulled his pants up and tried to wipe away the tears that were unfortunately still coming. Dally wasn't exactly the hugging type and Pony didn't expect that he'd comfort him like Darry or Soda did.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Ponyboy said sheepishly, wrapping his arms around himself</p><p>Dally sighed. "Get over here." Pony felt himself be tugged forward by the shirt until he was in Dally's arms. Pony rested his head against the older greaser's chest. </p><p>"Lord, Ponyboy, that was awful," Dally said, squeezing the kid tight, "Please don't make me do it again."</p><p>"Won't, Dal, promise," Ponyboy mumbled. Dally hummed in agreement.</p><p>"C'mon, let's get you home," Dal said finally, pulling away, "I don't need an earful from Soda if you're not home by curfew."</p><hr/><p>"Hey guys, where you been?" Soda asked when Dally and Ponyboy walked in the door. Two-Bit shot Dally a knowing look and Johnny looked at Ponyboy sympathetically.</p><p>"Go ahead, kid," Dally prompted, "Tell your brother where you've been."</p><p>"C'mon, Dal, you already skinned me!"</p><p>"You skinned him?" Soda asked, raising an eyebrow. Dally hoped Soda wouldn't pitch a fit about it.</p><p>"Yeah, I called and you wasn't home," Dally replied, "I found the little dumb ass at Buck's."</p><p>"Ponyboy Curtis, how many times have I told you not to be caught anywhere near there?" Soda nearly yelled. Dally felt bad for the kid but he couldn't help a half smile. Soda sounded so much like his big brother it was scary.</p><p>"A lot," Ponyboy admitted, "Dal whupped me good, though."</p><p>"C'mere, I wanna talk to you," Soda said, not giving Ponyboy the option as he dragged him by the upper arm to their bedroom. Now Dally just felt bad for the kid. Hopefully Soda would just scold him and then leave him be. Taking a seat on the couch, Dally could hear the sound of muffled conversations from the bedroom, both sides sounding annoyed.</p><p>"Nooooo, Soda," Ponyboy cried, and Dally could distinctly hear the sound of hand hitting bare ass. Four smacks landed, each one followed by loud complaints. A minute later both brothers came back out of the bedroom.</p><p>"Soda's mean," Ponyboy said, with a pout toward Dally. The seventeen-year-old was confused. What did Pony want him to do about it?</p><p>"Aw stuff it," Soda said, sitting down on the armchair, "I'm done lecturing now. C'mere, honey."</p><p>"Uh uh," Pony said, sitting down between Dally and Johnny, shifting his weight onto his hip, "I'm staying far away from you." </p><p>The kid leaned his weight against Dally, who didn't quite know what to do. Usually Soda was the comforting one. Tentatively, he wrapped an arm around Ponyboy, who burrowed into his chest in response. </p><p>"Lay off Soda," Steve defended, "Dally's the one that tanned you."</p><p>"Who tanned who isn't the issue," Two-Bit grinned, "The real question is who's gonna tell Darry."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter: Curly gets his turn!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Damn Brats</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Follow up to "No Place for Kids"</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Curly and Angela were damn brats. Both of them. Tim would like to bash their heads together just to get them to shut up once in a while. Nah, Curly couldn't afford to lose any more brain cells. He'd gone out for one fuckin' night and Curly managed to get himself in trouble. And of course, instead of fessing up, the fucker had hid it. And Angela had helped him! Damn brats.</p><p>Tim only found out because he ran into Darry Curtis. Apparently Dallas caught Ponyboy and Curly at Buck's. Darry was away for the weekend but it seemed like he really raised the roof when he got home. Poor Ponyboy. Dallas tanned him and then Darry grounded him for a week!</p><p>Tim figured he’d have to top that. Curly hadn’t just been in the mix with Ponyboy, he’d also lied to Tim’s face about it. And Angela had hid it from him too, so now he had to deal with that too. It wasn’t the first time they’d both been in the hot seat at once. Last time it was because he caught the two of them trying to give Curly a homemade tattoo with a dirty needle and a bunch of broken pens. He’d given Curly a whipping and took Angela over his knee. They’d both protested at the treatment. Curly thought it was unfair that he got the belt when Angela just got smacked with Tim’s hand. Angela accused him of being sexist and was annoyed that Tim didn’t think she could handle the belt. He should’ve given her the belt just for that. </p><p>At least this time Tim had an excuse for punishing his baby sister less harshly. They’d both lied to him but Curly was the one who actually fucked up. Angela was just covering for him. He’d holler at Angela a little bit, maybe pop her a few times with his hand, and that’d be it. Curly was looking at a round with his belt and at least a week’s grounding. Maybe more if the kid decided to be a little shit. <br/>
<br/>
“Living room. Now.” Tim growled, throwing the door to Angela’s room open before doing the same to him and Curly’s room. Scowling, both kids got up and followed him.</p><p>"What crawled up your butt?" Curly asked.</p><p>"Had an interesting conversation with Darry Curtis. He had a lot to say about you and Ponyboy being at Buck's on Friday, which was real interesting since both of you swore you were home all night."</p><p>"Yeah, I was at Buck's, so what?" Curly grumbled, "It's no big deal."</p><p>"If it's no big deal, you wouldn't have hid it from me," Tim barked, "You knew I'd be pissed."</p><p>"You was doing that shit when you was his age," Angela defended. Tim glared at her. Since when were Curly and Angela a united front against him? Usually they were ready to throw each other under the bus at the first sign of trouble.</p><p>"Yeah, and just 'cause I was a damn idiot, doesn't mean he can be," Tim scolded, "Last thing he needs is to be getting caught and sent back to reform school. And you better stay far away from there. I don't trust the men in there not to take advantage of you."</p><p>"Oh screw you!" Angela yelled, "Just cause I'm a damn woman doesn't mean I can't take care of myself."</p><p>"You're not a woman, you're a sixteen-year-old girl. And my baby sister for that matter. It's my job to protect you."</p><p>"Fuck that, I'm as tough as any man."</p><p>"Angela, I don't have time for a goddamn women's lib debate. I've gotta whip Curly for going to Buck's and the three of us have to have a conversation about lying to my fuckin' face."</p><p>"We wouldn't have to lie to you if you weren't bossing us around all the time," Curly jumped in.</p><p>"Someone's gotta keep you two little shits alive," Tim said, "Now I'm done trying to reason with the both of you. Angela, c'mere." </p>
<hr/><p>Fuckin' Tim. Did he really think she was coming over without a fight so he could spank her like a little kid? She was basically a grown woman.</p><p>"Come here or you really ain't gonna like me," Tim growled.</p><p>"Fuck off, it was one little lie," Angela said, storming toward her room.</p><p>"One lie and a fuck ton of back talk," Tim said, grabbing Angela by the arm and yanking her back. Before she knew it, she was over Tim's knee. She tried to kick her legs but Tim already had them pinned.</p><p>"You bastard! You can't fucking do this!" Angela shrieked as Tim brought his hand down on the seat of her jeans. She was sure glad she was wearing them and not a skirt. Tim would've flipped her skirt right up. He'd done it before.</p><p>"I should keep you over my knee until you learn to talk like a fuckin' lady," Tim growled, continuing to smack her denim covered ass.</p><p>"Chauvinist pig!" Angela yelled. "I fuckin' hate you!"</p><p>"Hate me all you want, but I'm still in charge of you," Tim said, "And I aim to teach you how to shut your mouth every now and again. I was just gonna chew you out for lying, but then you had to go and be a little smart ass."</p><p>"You just want me to be some weepy little girl!" Angela shouted.</p><p>"Bullshit. I'm the one who taught you to throw a punch and handle a blade, remember?" Tim said, "I just want you to stay alive, and part of that is teaching you not to run your damn mouth all the time. Like it or not, you're still a scrawny little girl. I'm always gonna try to keep you safe."</p><p>"Fuck off! You're such a fuckin' dick!" </p><p>"Curly, go get me a wooden spoon," Tim ordered.</p><p>"What! Fuck no! Lemme up!" Angela yelled.</p><p>"My hand on your jeans obviously isn't getting through to you," Tim said, so calm it pissed Angela off, "So it's either the spoon or I smack your bare ass. Up to you, sweetheart."</p><p>"Asshole," Angela muttered, but didn't otherwise respond. No way in hell was she gonna take her pants down or let Tim do it. A girl had to have some dignity.</p><p>"Curly, spoon," Tim ordered, obviously taking her lack of response as an answer. Angela couldn't help but feel nervous. She'd never been whupped with a spoon before. Their Ma would smack them when they were small and she was hacked off, but Tim was the only one who ever actually spanked her. </p><p>"No more lying to me. I need to know what you and Curly are up to," Tim said, bringing the spoon down. Angela almost laughed. She'd practically forgotten that was why they were there in the first place. She felt an uncharacteristic pang of sympathy for Curly. Tim was all wound up and was still aiming to take a belt to Curly's ass for being at Buck's. </p><p>"It makes me look damn stupid when I run into people and they know more about what y'all are getting into than I do," Tim lectured. </p><p>"Okay, I get it, damn!" Angela groaned. Her ass was really starting to heat up and she was getting desperate to get off Tim's lap. </p><p>"Next time you lie to me, I'll put a bar of soap in your mouth," Tim said, stopping spanking but still tapping her ass with the spoon. "Understand?"</p><p>"Yeah," Angela muttered.</p><p>"Alright, get up," Tim said, releasing her legs so she could stand up.</p><p>"Fuck, Timmy," Angela said, standing up and rubbing her ass, "That hurt."</p><p>"Yeah, well, try not to be such a wise ass next time," Tim shrugged, "Now come give your mean big brother a hug."</p><p>"You don't hug Curly after you whip him," Angela said. Even though she wanted a hug, she didn't want to be seen as a little girl who needed to be coddled.</p><p>"If I promise to hug Curly afterward, will you let me hug you?"</p><p>Angela thought about that. She really did want her big brother to hold her. The same big brother that used to walk her to school in the morning and put bandaids on her skinned knees. She gave a small nod and immediately felt Tims arms around her. It had been a while since Tim hugged her. He smelled like cigarettes and leather. It was comforting.</p><p>"Stop trying to make my hair turn gray," Tim said, kissing her head, "You're supposed to be the smart one."</p><p>"Hey!" Curly protested.</p><p>"Don't worry, I'm including myself in that," Tim chuckled before getting stern, "And I haven't forgotten that we still have to talk about your latest brain-dead stunt."</p>
<hr/><p>Curly would never admit it, but he really hadn't liked watching Angela get her ass handed to her. She was a pain in his ass most of the time, but she had covered for him, and that was a pretty okay thing to do. He watched as Tim let Angela go and turned to him with a scowl. His older brother brushed by him into their bedroom before coming out with the belt.</p><p>"I should just start wearing this damn thing, considering how often you make me use it," Tim said wryly. Curly didn't care much for his sense of humor.</p><p>"You're such an asshole," Curly muttered. </p><p>"Thought my chat with Angela would've taught you something," Tim growled, smacking the side of Curly's leg with the belt.</p><p>"Ow, Tim!" Curly muttered. </p><p>"Bare ass over the couch. Let's go," Tim ordered, smacking his thigh again.</p><p>"I'm not taking my pants down with her still here," Curly complained, gesturing to Angela. He didn't actually care that much, but he was in stalling mode. </p><p>"Angie, get out of here," Tim said, "Curly's decided to be a priss today."</p><p>"Don't kill him," Angela said, heading for her room. Curly rolled his eyes, thinking he'd prefer death to whatever Tim was about to hand out. </p><p>"Let's go," Tim repeated, holding up the belt menacingly. Fucking Tim. He was so much nicer to Angela than he was to Curly.</p><p>"Get bent," Curly muttered. He expected Tim to smack him again for that, but instead, his big brother just dragged him by the back of the neck over to the couch. Once they were there, Tim pushed Curly over the arm. Curly heard the thunk of the belt hitting the ground. Tim held the back of Curly's neck with one hand and used the other to unbutton and yank down Curly's jeans and underwear. Now bare assed, he felt Tim's grip move from his neck to his back and heard Tim picking up the belt.</p><p>"Why are we here?" Tim growled.</p><p>"Because you're a dick who enjoys beating my ass," Curly spat, howling when the belt fell low on his thighs. </p><p>"This'll go a whole lot faster if you watch your fuckin' mouth for once," Tim scolded, whacking Curly again, "Now, why are we doing this?"</p><p>"Because Winston found me had Buck's and apparently has nothing better to do than play bouncer," Curly said.</p><p>"Closer," Tim replied, bringing the belt down again, but not quite as hard, "We're here 'cause you and your little friend decided to be somewhere you had no place being at. Buck's ain't for punk kids like you."</p><p>"Not a kid," Curly muttered.</p><p>"Jesus fuckin' Christ, do we have to go through this every damn time?" Tim growled. "You are a kid. You're a fifteen-year-old brat who's just asking to get himself sent back to reform school."</p><p>"I'd rather go back to reform school than have you telling me what to do all the time," Curly yelled, his voice strained as Tim tore his ass up with the belt. Both brothers knew that was a lie, but Curly knew it would get under Tim's skin.</p><p>"You think this is bad?" Tim said with a humorless chuckle, "Get yourself sent back and see how mean I am when you come out. I'll have you glued to my side till you turn 18 and maybe then some."</p><p>"You wouldn't!" Curly screeched, not sure if he should be more upset about his ass being on fire or Tim's threat.</p><p>"I damn well would," Tim lectured, his arm never stopping, "And for the next two weeks, you're gonna get a taste of that. You're grounded and on a short fuckin' leash. "</p><p>Curly muttered obscenities at Tim under his breath as the whipping continued. Tim was a cruel bastard with the belt and it seemed like Tim was gonna be watching for any screw-up for the next two weeks, practically ensuring that Curly was gonna get another beating. With how much his ass was smarting, Curly couldn't even bear the thought. Everything from the top of Curly's ass to the middle of his thighs was burning like hell. Curly knew Tim wanted him to cry and apologize, but fuck that. He wasn't a little boy who would beg for his punishment to be over. He'd take the whipping like a man. </p><p>Tim whipped him a few more times before speaking again. "That was for fucking around at Buck's. Now we just gotta square up about you lying to me."</p><p>"Damnit, Tim, you lie all the time!" Curly yelled.</p><p>"I didn't say you couldn't lie," Tim growled, "I just said you can't lie to me. I'm trying to keep you alive, you little shit."</p><p>Curly didn't say anything as Tim continued whipping him. His pride was starting to get whupped out of him and he just wanted this to be over.</p><p>"Just like I told Angela, next time you lie to me, you'll be sucking on a bar of soap before you can blink," Tim threatened.</p><p>"Okay, fine, I won't lie to you! Happy?"</p><p>"Getting there," Tim said sarcastically, "I figure your ass is blistered enough to keep you from getting yourself into trouble for at least a few days.</p><p>"I won't get in no trouble," Curly said, his ass burning fierce, "Just stop already!"</p><p>Probably just to spite Curly, Tim brought the belt down four or five more times. Curly bit down on a pillow to keep from hollering as Tim finished the whipping. </p><p>"Alright, kid, we're square," Tim said, dropping to the belt to the ground. "Just don't fuckin' do it again, ya little bastard. "</p><p>If Curly didn't know better, he'd say Tim's tone was almost fond. Curly yanked his pants and underwear up before turning around to glare at Tim. The nineteen-year-old's expression was softer than Curly was used to, but then again, Tim was always nicest to him after delivering a beat down. Before he knew it, Tim had Curly pulled into an awkward hug.</p><p>"The fuck are you doing?" Curly muttered as he was smashed against Tim's chest.</p><p>"I made a promise to Angie, and you know I keep my promises," Tim replied. Curly squirmed uncomfortably until he heard a click and his head shot toward the sound. His damn sister was standing in the doorway with the camera Tim had swiped for her for Christmas the year before. </p><p>"I'm gonna break that fuckin' camera," Curly growled as Tim let him go. </p><p>"Do that and I'll break your fuckin' face," Angela shot back.  </p><p>"Neither of y'all are breaking anything," Tim ordered, "But if you show that picture to anyone, I'm gonna break that wooden spoon across your ass."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. No Place for Kids (Bonus Scene)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just a baby chapter. Thanks to queenofwheels for the prompt!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darry was tired, but in a pretty good mood. He was driving home from Collinsville with some extra cash in his pocket. He'd gotten up extra early to finish the job and was looking forward to a cold shower and a long nap. He saw Steve and Two-Bit's cars parked outside the house, so it was guaranteed to be noisy, but he'd learned to sleep through anything, including the wrestling match that was currently occurring in his living room.</p><p>"Oww, Two-Bit, you know I'm still sore," Ponyboy whined as Two-Bit flipped him over onto his ass.</p><p>"And why exactly are you sore, Ponyboy Michael?" Darry said, setting his overnight bag down.</p><p>"Oh, hey, Darry," Ponyboy said sheepishly, looking at his big brother.</p><p>"Hi, kiddo," Darry replied, "I believe I asked you a question."</p><p>"Hey, Dar, look we made brownies!" Two-Bit said, clearly trying to distract Darry.</p><p>"I see," Darry said, starting to lose his patience. "Will someone please tell me why Ponyboy has a sore backside?"</p><p>"Dally busted the little brat at Buck's," Steve said, with a grin that Darry didn't quite appreciate.</p><p>"Get bent," Ponyboy muttered, glaring at Steve. </p><p>Darry decided to ignore the squabbling in favor of dealing with the bigger problem. "Ponyboy Curtis, how many damn times have I told you not to let me catch you there?"</p><p>"<em>Technically</em>, you didn't catch him, Dally did!" Two-Bit cracked, laughing at his own joke.</p><p>"You better get your behind out of here before I <em>technically</em> start smacking it," Darry replied, "Johnny, Dally, and Steve, go outside with him. Soda and I have to have another chat with Ponyboy about staying away from places he ain't got no business being at."</p><p>Surprisingly, Soda and Dally shared a look at that. Dally spoke up. "Uh, man, I'm actually the one that kicked the kid's ass, not Sodapop."</p><p>Darry had not expected that. The kid had been reluctant to spank Johnny and now he was taking Ponyboy to task? Darry wanted answers so he nodded at Dally. "Alright, you stay. Soda, you wanna stay or go?"</p><p>"You don't want my input?" Two-Bit asked.</p><p>"Not one bit," Darry replied, his patience draining by the second. His palm was itching to smart smacking and if Two-Bit was smart, he had better get himself out of the line of fire.</p><p>"I'll stay," Soda says, "Wanna defend myself when Pony here starts complaining about how mean I am."</p><p>Soda being mean? Jesus, this story kept getting better and better.  Darry looked at Ponyboy. "Start talking."</p><p>"Not much to tell," Ponyboy shrugged, "Dally caught me and Curly at Buck's and he kicked my ass."</p><p>"As he damn well should've," Darry said, "I've told you time and time again about that damn place. You just never listen, do you? I should skin your butt again just to make sure the lesson sticks."</p><p>"It stuck!" Ponyboy said, "Promise!"</p><p>"You tear his butt up?" Darry asked, turning to Dallas.</p><p>"Yeah, man," Dally said, "Paddled him right good with the back of Buck's hairbrush." Damn, Dally hadn't even wanted to spank Johnny with his hand, let alone with a hairbrush. Darry would've paddled Ponyboy, or maybe even whipped him, and figured that Soda would've done the same, but hadn't expected it from Dally. </p><p>"It's true," Soda added, "I checked the damage when he got home. Dal tanned the kid red, even before I popped him a couple more times." That was a relief to Darry at least. The kid couldn't have been too torn up if Soda was willing to smack him more. He didn't think Dally would purposely go overboard, but still, the seventeen-year-old had a temper. Darry certainly knew what it was like to see red when it came to a kid brother. Now he could just focus on dealing with Ponyboy. </p><p>"Uh huh," Darry said, looking at Ponyboy, "What'd'ya have to say for yourself, little man?"</p><p>"I'm sorry," Ponyboy whined, not sounding all that sincere to Darry's ears. </p><p>"You damn well better be!" Darry scolded. "If the place would've been raided, they would've thought I was an unfit guardian and thrown you right in the boys' home."</p><p>"I know, I know, I'll be in the boys' home so quick it'll make my head spin," Ponyboy said. Darry took a deep breath to keep himself from yanking Ponyboy right over his knee. Dally, who was sitting on the couch next to Ponyboy, thumped the kid on the side of the head.</p><p>"Are you dumb?" Dally said, "You don't mouth off if it means getting your ass beat."</p><p>"Everybody keeps hollering at me! It's not fair!" </p><p>"I ain't hollering at you, but I'm about to. I'm sick and tired of this attitude." Darry said, pulling Ponyboy up by the bicep and giving him a firm swat before dropping him back down, "And you know what, little boy, I don't wanna hear a word from you about fair! What's not fair is me having to come home from working all damn weekend just to get on your ass about doing shit that you're not supposed to be doing. It's not fair for me and Soda to tell you things over and over again just to have you ignore them so you can have a little fun. It's not fair that every time you hang out with Curly fuckin' Shepard, we gotta worry about you losing all your damn brain cells."</p><p>"Darry," Soda said softly and Darry let out a sigh. Darry wasn't hollering before but he certainly was now. Dally had slung his arm protectively Pony, who now looked like he was on the verge of tears.</p><p>"You starting to get what I'm sayin'?" Darry asked, forcing himself to soften his tone. He squatted down in front of Ponyboy and took lifted kid's chin so he could look him in the eyes.</p><p>"Yessir," Ponyboy said, his voice a little wobbly, "I'll try to listen better."</p><p>"I shouldn't have yelled at you," Darry sighed, knowing how sensitive his baby brother was. He sat down on the other side of Ponyboy and pulled the kid into his lap. "I'm sorry. I just get so scared sometimes. So scared that they're gonna take you away from me."</p><p>"I'm sorry too," Ponyboy said, actually sounding like he meant it, "I don't wanna get taken away. I like living here with you."</p><p>"Well, good, 'cause you ain't going nowhere for the next week."</p><p>Ponyboy opened his mouth to protest before Darry sent him a look. "Yessir."</p><p>"I hope you already apologized to Dal," Darry said, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"Yeah," Dally snorted, "Kid was howling out his sorries soon as he was over my knee."</p><p>"Thanks for looking after him," Darry said, giving Dally a smile. He meant it. It was nice to have another person in his corner helping to corral this wild bunch of teens, even if Dally still needed to be corralled from time to time. His kid brothers were gonna be the death of him, but in the meantime, they were his whole life.   </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to everyone who's left comments. I love hearing what y'all think and writing your prompts!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Busted Window</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Shoutout to MimiRose113 for the prompt!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darry had just cracked open a beer, ready to kick back in front of the TV when Soda and Steve ran through the door, cheering and whooping. Steve had a bottle of something wrapped in brown paper in his hand.</p><p>"Dar! Guess what happened!" Soda said, bouncing back and forth on his heels. </p><p>"Me and Soda got a raises," Steve cheered before Darry could even answer.</p><p>"What?!" Darry exclaimed.</p><p>"It's true!" Soda said, "10 cents an hour!"</p><p>"Congrats, boys!" Darry said, wrapping them both in a hug, "You deserve it."</p><p>C'mon, let's celebrate," Steve said, breaking off the hug and pulling a bottle of champagne out of the brown paper bag.</p><p>"Alright, but just a little bit," Darry said, "I don't want anyone ending up too drunk."</p><p>A bottle of champagne, five beers, and an unidentified amount of whiskey later, all three were certainly soused. Ponyboy was spending the night at one of his school friend's house, studying for the big history test they had on Monday. Darry didn't have to work the next day, for once, so he was just letting loose.  Steve had teased him about being a lightweight and Darry had decided to match Steve and Soda in drinks. At some point in the night, Darry realized that he hadn't drank anywhere near this much since his parents died, but he was just having too much fun to think through the consequences.  </p><p>Eventually, there was only one beer left and nobody was counting drinks anymore. Darry was satisfied that he'd proven to his brothers that he was no lightweight. Soda had surprised him with how much he drank. Since Ponyboy looked up to Soda so much, they used to pretend for the fourteen-year-old's sake that Soda had never touched a drop of alcohol. Even though that wasn't true, Soda wasn't a big drinker. But with the three of them trying to out drink each other, Soda had drank just as much as Steve and Darry. </p><p>"I only had one, so I should get it," Soda smirked, grabbing the last beer.</p><p>"Yeah, but I bought the champagne, so I should get it," Steve said, yanking it away from Soda. </p><p>"I bought the beer and I'm the only one who's old enough to drink," Darry laughed, reaching for it, "I should get it."</p><p>Steve pulled the beer out of Darry's grasp and grinned, tossing it to Soda. Darry tried to lunge for Soda but the kid threw it back to Steve before he could. They continued like that, playing keep away from Darry until the oldest Curtis lost track of who had the bottle. Thinking Soda had it, Darry tackled the kid, knocking him to the floor. Unfortunately, Steve had the bottle and with all the alcohol he drank, his reflexes weren't too quick. Unable to stop the throw, Steve sent the bottle sailing through the air and into the window, which shattered on impact.</p><p>Darry stood up and surveyed the scene. He knew he should deal with the window, but he was a little too drunk too care. Steve instinctively reached his hands back to cover his backside, looking like his grade school self when Darry's dad was chewing him out. The eldest Curtis couldn't help but laugh.</p><p>"Guess we're just gonna have to drink whiskey instead," Darry said, taking a swig directly from the bottle. Steve and Soda looked shocked but immediately joined him in downing the rest of the whiskey.</p>
<hr/><p>"Lord almighty, what happened here," Two-Bit said as he walked into the Curtis house with the living room half trashed and the window broken. Darry was sitting in the armchair looking both green and grey, glaring at his cup of coffee.</p><p>"So hungover," Steve muttered, laying face down on the couch.</p><p>Two-Bit grinned widely, his eyes fixed on Darry. "Darrel Shayne, did you drink too much?"</p><p>"Soda and Steve both got raises and we were celebrating," Darry said shamefully.</p><p>"And you broke the window?"</p><p>"Oh God, I thought I'd dreamed that," Darry moaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, "We were playing keep away with a beer bottle and it ended up going through the window."</p><p>"Tsk, Tsk," Two-Bit said sarcastically, "Looks like somebody needs a reminder that his actions have consequences."</p><p>Steve raised his hand and flipped Two-Bit the bird without ever lifting his head. </p><p>"No, Steve, he's right. I would've whupped y'all for drinking too much and breaking a window," Darry sighed, "I let this foolishness happen and I need to pay for it. Two-Bit should whip me."</p><p>"I was just messing with ya," Two-Bit said, "I have no desire to beat your ass."</p><p> "Then I'll get Dallas to do it," Darry said resolutely, "I more than earned a whipping."</p><p>"Where's Sodapop?" Two-Bit sighed, realizing Darry was serious about this, "We all need to talk about this."</p><p>"He's still asleep," Darry said, "But you can leave him and Steve out of this. I was in charge and I was the one at fault."</p><p>"Steve, go get Soda," Two-Bit said, turning to Darry as Steve left the room. "If I was keeping an eye on Ponyboy, and we got drunk together and broke a window, would you let Pony off scott-free? I know you'd whup me harder for letting it happen, but you'd still blister him too."</p><p>"That's different," Darry argued, "Pony knows he ain't allowed to drink. Soda and Steve are."</p><p>"I'm not saying I'm wanna whup them. I'm just saying that if you're gonna make me whup you, then they should write lines or stand in the corner or something. You ain't responsible for everything. They're old enough to know not to throw shit in the house, even if you was doing it too."</p><p>Darry stared him down for a while before finally giving in. "Fine, they can write lines while you're whupping me."</p><p>"Breakfast first. I ain't whupping you on an empty stomach. I'll go make y'all the Two-Bit special," Two-Bit said, clapping Darry on the shoulder. He went into the kitchen and checked the icebox. The Two-Bit special was basically just the greasiest food he could find mixed up in pan with lots of butter. Today, that was bacon, frozen french fries, ground beef, and a whole lot of cheese, perfect for a hangover. Within a few minutes, Two-Bit was dishing up plates, each with a side of buttery toast.</p><p>"Kidddddds, breakfast is ready," Two-Bit called in a sing-songy voice. He was loving not being the one that was hungover for once. As the boys trudged into the kitchen to get their breakfast, Two-Bit pulled out some Cokes for everyone. His mom always said that the bubbles settled your stomach.</p><p>"Thanks, Two-Bit," Darry said, still sounding ashamed of himself. Soda and Steve mumbled their thanks as well, but seemed like they were mostly focused on their hangovers. </p><p>"Eat up," Two-Bit directed, "Then we'll talk about last night."</p><p>"Yes, sir," Darry said. Two-Bit sent him a questioning look but Darry just shrugged. "Gotta practice what I preach."</p><p>Two-Bit rolled his eyes. He'd been initially excited to see his responsible big brother hungover and have the chance to tease him about it, but this was awful. Darry clearly felt real bad about it so Two-Bit didn't feel right mocking him and making him feel worse. Hopefully the whupping that Darry was insistent on receiving would get rid of that guilt and then Two-Bit could tease him for real.</p><p>"Y'all feeling a little better?" Two-Bit asked as everyone was down to their last bites.</p><p>"Would've felt better if I was still sleeping," Soda muttered grumpily. Two-Bit was surprised. Hungover Sodapop was a totally different person than normal Sodapop.</p><p>"Sodapop Patrick," Darry scolded automatically. </p><p>"Sorry," Soda mumbled.</p><p>"I can't believe I'm the one getting on y'all about doing stupid shit while you're drunk," Two-Bit said, "But since Darry's insisting that I whup him for breaking the window, and you too were just as much involved, y'all gotta be punished too. Ain't fair for Darry to go it alone." </p><p>"C'mon, Two-Bit, how you gonna whup us for something you do all the time?" Steve argued.</p><p>"I ain't gonna whup you, but y'all are gonna write lines. Y'all know better than to throw shit in the house. Darry is always hollering at us about that."</p><p>"He's right," Darry said, "It is a rule that I'm constantly harping on, which is why I'm getting the whupping. Being the one doing the punishing ain't easy, so let's make it easy on Two-Bit and do as we're told."</p><p>"You two do the dishes and then write 'I will leave the stupid drunk screw-ups to Two-Bit' a hundred times," Two-Bit said, getting up from the table and grabbing the paddle out of the drawer, gesturing for Darry to follow him into the living room.</p><p>"Thought you were gonna whip me?" Darry said.</p><p>"Would you whip me for this?" Two-Bit asked.</p><p>"No, prob'ly not," Darry replied.</p><p>"Paddle it is, then. Now drop your pants and bend over, young man," Two-Bit said, smirking a little.</p><p>"Uh, you sure?" Darry said, "We could go out to the garage or I could grab my knees or something."</p><p>"Darrel Shayne, are you saying you're too tuff to bend over my knee?" Two-Bit said, trying his best to play the part of Darry.</p><p>"No, sir," Darry said hurriedly, "I'm just bigger than you, that's all."</p><p>"We'll make it work," Two-Bit said, snapping his fingers and pointing at his knee, "Now, little boy."</p>
<hr/><p>Damn, Darry had forgotten how humbling the lead up to a spanking could be. Darry only used 'little boy' when he thought his boys were getting too big for their britches. 'Little buddy' was often a term of endearment, and mostly used for Sodapop from when they were kids, before Ponyboy was even born. 'Little man' got thrown into scolding sometimes, but it also was used for teasing more often than not. 'Little boy' only got used when someone needed to be knocked down a peg. Darry felt like he'd been knocked down quite a few pegs already and the spanking hadn't even started. He'd meant what he said, though. No throwing things in the house was his rule and he'd broken it, which meant he'd damn well have to be punished for it. Plus, he drank too much, which wasn't a punishable offense, but Darry always held himself to a higher standard than he did the boys. He had to. He was the parent. </p><p>Shame-faced, Darry unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down to his ankles. The only remaining dignity he had was that Two-Bit had let him do it himself. Pulling the boys pants down himself was another thing Darry sometimes did to humble someone, but more often than not, it was just because he was running out of patience and didn't want to let them boys earn themselves more. Darry shuffled around to stand by Two-Bit's side before bending himself over Two-Bit's knee. As he'd expected, the fit was awkward but they made it work. Darry was positioned so that his hands and feet were both on the ground, giving him room for his long arms and legs extend and not be cramped. Darry blushed even further as Two-Bit pulled his underwear down to meet his knees. How much more childish could it get?</p><p>"You obviously know what you did wrong, so I'm not gonna bother lecturing," Two-Bit said, tapping Darry's thigh.</p><p>"Yessir," Darry replied. All too soon Two-Bit hand left Darry's thigh and smacked down on his backside. Damnit, who knew Two-Bit could hit so hard? Two-Bit's hand whapped down on Darry's backside rapid fire. It had been years since Darry got a real spanking over someone's knee. His dad whipped him, sure, but he was seventeen the last time he got an actual spanking like this. Darry was adamant that the rules applied to everyone, even him, but honestly, he hadn't expected to get a spanking ever again. A whipping with the strap, maybe, but not a real spanking.</p><p>Not that he'd ever let his boys use age as an excuse to get out of a spanking. Two-Bit had tried that 'but I'm eighteen!' excuse before, but Darry didn't buy it. It was humbling to get his bare assed spanked at 21, but he was pretty sure he'd still be spanking Two-Bit's ass at the same age. The kid had been growing up, but Darry couldn't see Two-Bit completely cutting out all the reckless shit in only three years. Darry, on the other hand, tried so hard to be a responsible adult and set a good example at all times. He knew his brothers didn't always love 'hard-ass Darry' and he was working on not being so serious all the time. He certainly didn't feel like a responsible adult with his ass getting smacked.</p><p>Darry fought the urge to squirm as his ass was lit up. Since Two-Bit wasn't lecturing, all Darry could focus on was Two-Bit's hand coming down. Two-Bit didn't spank as hard as Darry did, or as hard as Darry remembered getting from his father, but the effect was starting to add up. Darry dug his fingers into a throw pillow to try to keep from yelling out.</p><p>"What the heck?!" Darry heard Ponyboy say. Darry's head snapped up from where it was resting on the couch. Ponyboy was standing in the doorway looking shocked. God, he hoped Ponyboy would still respect him after seeing him over Two-Bit's knee.  Honestly, Darry wasn't sure if Ponyboy had ever seen Darry get spanked when they were growing up. He knew the kid had seen him at least get smacked before, but Pony was pretty young when Darry was still getting put over his dad's knee and his dad usually took him into the bedroom to get spanked. Their age difference meant he hadn't ever been spanked alongside Ponyboy like he was Two-Bit, Soda, or Steve.</p><p>"Pony, why don't you go hang out in your room?" Two-Bit suggested, "Me and Darry still have some business to handle."</p><p>"What'd he do?" Pony asked. Darry wouldn't let him get away with butting in like that if he was the one doing the spanking, but he wasn't really in a position to give orders. </p><p>"Ponyboy, go," Two-Bit ordered, his voice sterner than Darry was used to. "And leave Soda and Steve alone. They're writing lines."</p><p>Ponyboy glanced over at Soda and Steve in the kitchen. He looked like he was gonna argue but must've seen something in Two-Bit's face because he turned and went to his room. </p><p>"Seems like a good time as any to switch to the paddle," Two-Bit said.</p><p>"Yessir," Darry replied.</p><p>"Like I told Soda and Steve, leave the stupid drunk shit to me," Two-Bit said. Darry felt another twinge of guilt at Two-Bit's statement that was cut off by Two-Bit bringing the paddle down.  Darry sucked in a breath as he felt the sting. When the paddle had resurfaced, Darry had smacked it against his own thigh to makes sure he knew  how to wield it properly, but actually getting spanked with it was an experience he hadn't had in a while. </p><p>Two-Bit walloped him with the paddle until Darry was pushing his face into the pillow, trying not to holler. He knew his eyes were glossy and he was not too far from all out crying. Thankfully, he no longer felt the incredible guilt of breaking one of his own rules. No, now he felt like a teenager in trouble again. Just sorry and ready for his punishment to be over.</p><p>"Nobody's mad at you. You got punished, just like the rest of us would've been," Two-Bit said, smacking even faster and harder, just like Darry always did, "Just 'cause you mess up sometimes, doesn't mean you're not damn good at being in charge." </p><p>Darry slumped down on Two-Bit's knee, panting heavily as Two-Bit stopped spanking. Darry wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. He tried to get his breathing under control as Two-Bit fixed his underwear. He wanted to get up and try to save some of his dignity. He also needed to check on Ponyboy and then head to the hardware store to see about fixing the window. Plus, there was Soda and Steve that he had to apologize to for getting them in trouble.</p><p>"Feel a little better?" Two-Bit asked earnestly, patting Darry's back.</p><p>"Much," Darry replied, hopping off off Two-Bit's knee and pulling up his pants, taking care to tuck his shirt in properly. He did fell a hell of a lot better now that he'd been properly punished.</p><p>"Only you would ask for, no <em>demand</em>, a whupping," Two-Bit cracked.</p><p>"Gotta let you know what to expect when you inevitably do this next," Darry grinned, rubbing his ass.  </p>
<hr/><p>Two-Bit was relieved to see Darry getting his dry sense of humor back. He called toward the kitchen. "Soda, Steve, get in here. And bring me your lines."</p><p>"Your highness," Soda said, handing over his lines dramatically.</p><p>"Watch it or I'll paddle you too," Two-Bit cracked, picking it up and waving it at Sodapop. He briefly looked at the lines to make sure that Soda and Steve had made at least some effort at it. They both had enough written that Two-Bit was satisfied.</p><p>"God, Soda, your handwriting is worse than mine," Two-Bit joked.</p><p>"That's because I used to do his handwriting homework for him in grade school," Steve answered.</p><p>"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that," Darry humphed.</p><p>"You can't punish us for something that happened in the second grade!" Soda argued, knowing Darry wasn't actually serious.</p><p>"You're right," Darry said, "Also, I'm really sorry I got y'all punished today." </p><p>"You're sorry <em>we </em>got punished?" Soda laughed, "You're the one with a sore ass."</p><p>"Speaking of which," Two-Bit said, grabbing Steve and smacking him across the ass with all his might. Soda tried to dance out of reach, but Two-Bit caught him and popped him just as hard. "There, now you've all got sore asses."</p><p>"Ow, man!" Steve complained, rubbing his ass.</p><p>"Aw stuff it," Two-Bit said, "You got off easy."</p><p>"I gotta head to the hardware store to see about fixing the window," Darry sighed, "Y'all need anything while I'm out?"</p><p>"Man, you just got your ass beat," Soda said, "Can't you just relax a little?"</p><p>Darry looked like he was gonna protest but Two-Bit cut him off. "Yes, he can. And he's not gonna argue if he knows what good for him."</p><p>"Yessir," Darry said, grinning, "I guess I'll stretch out on the couch."</p><p>"You don't want to sit on my lap?" Two-Bit said, sitting down on the couch and patting his knee.</p><p>"This is close enough," Darry said, laying down on his stomach and putting his head on Two-Bit's leg. Lord, Two-Bit was glad that the whole ordeal was over. He'd spanked Ponyboy before, but those times were when Ponyboy was being really stupid and needed some sense knocked into him. Darry already had more sense than all of them combined, and Two-Bit was only doing it to appease Darry's never-faltering sense of right and wrong. Plus, Darry was the one who whupped Two-Bit's ass when he screwed up, so it was really weird to be on the other side of things. </p><p>"Can I come out now?" Ponyboy called from his and Soda's bedroom. Two-Bit noticed the way Steve winced at Ponyboy's yell.</p><p>"Don't holler too loud. Your brothers are hungover." Two-Bit yelled, grinning when Soda and Steve covered their ears and Darry put a pillow over his head. "Hey, at least I'm not banging pots and pans like Superman always does when I'm hungover."</p><p>"That's 'cause you're hungover every other day," Soda laughed.</p><p>"Not since I started drinking beer for breakfast," Two-Bit said, "Can't be hungover if you're still drunk."</p><p>"Maybe we should do that today," Steve said, looking at Soda, "Still some whiskey left in the bottle."</p><p>"Try it and see what happens to you," Darry threatened and Two-Bit laughed. In a weird way, Darry issuing threats was comforting. It meant things were back to normal and his big brother was back. Two-Bit wouldn't go as far as to say handing out a whupping was worse than getting one, but neither was particularly fun. No, as much as Two-Bit complained about Darry being too fast and loose with the paddle, he was glad Darry was in charge. Being an adult sucked and he'd gladly hand that back over to Darry. Even if that meant being on the receiving end of Darry's palm more often that he liked.</p>
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<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Running Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A collection of snippets of Darry's transition from brother to parent, with a focus on the Curtis brothers. This comes before any of the chapters I've posted so far.</p><p>Based on inspiration from rightundermyskin, Luciene Rosemeire de Paulo, and Jj.</p>
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    <p>"I said no," Darry sighed, dealing with his thirteen-year-old brother's latest tantrum. This one was because he wanted to go to a movie that started at 9pm. On a school night! Ever since their folks had died, Ponyboy had been pushing Darry. Darry didn't know much about parenting, but he knew that Ponyboy was testing him to see what he could get away with. Darry was trying to give him some leniency--the kid was grieving after all--but enough was enough. He hadn't spanked the kid, or even popped him, since started running things, but he had a feeling today was the day.</p><p>"Ugh, why don't you ever let me do anything fun?!" Ponyboy griped, throwing his jacket down in the middle of the kitchen.</p><p>"Pick that up and put it where it belongs," Darry ordered, trying not to lose his temper. </p><p>"It's fine where it is," Pony replied sassily. Darry's eyes narrowed. He knew the kid never would've spoken to his parents like that. </p><p>"Ponyboy, now," Darry said, raising his voice a little, "Do it or you're getting popped."</p><p>"No," Ponyboy replied simply, and Darry had had it. He picked the jacket up with one arm and took Ponyboy's bicep in the other, dragging the kid to his bedroom. Darry tossed the jacket on the bed and spun Pony around, smacking him twice across the ass.  </p><p>"Stay in here until I tell you you can come out," Darry hollered, turning to leave the room, "And do your homework while you're in there."</p><p>"You can't tell me what to do!"</p><p>"I've got guardianship papers that say otherwise," Darry said, slamming the door behind him. He wanted to get away from Ponyboy before he said something he'd regret. He'd been trying so freakin' hard to be patient with Pony, but he'd had enough. He thought the kid deserved more than those two smacks, but he didn't feel like dealing with the fit Soda would throw if he walloped their youngest brother. One tantruming kid brother was enough for tonight.  </p><p>He left Ponyboy in there for close to an hour before he started to feel bad. Not for popping the kid, he'd been warned after all, but for losing his temper and yelling. His mom and dad didn't lose their tempers like Darry did. He decided to extend a peace offering and let the Ponyboy out, providing the kid apologized. He knocked on Ponyboy's door in warning before letting himself in. </p><p>"You ready to apologize to me?" Darry asked, standing in the doorway, looking at Ponyboy sternly. </p><p>"Sorry," Ponyboy muttered. Darry didn't think the boy actually sounded apologetic, but he at least he was doing as he was told, so that was a start.</p>
<hr/><p>Ponyboy didn't know if he was more pissed or embarrassed. Darry had called a family meeting to discuss the rules of the house. He'd said it wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, but Ponyboy knew it was mostly meant for him. He was the one Darry was always lecturing and hollering at, the pain in the ass that Darry couldn't wait to get rid of. All the boys were there, except Dally. Darry had said he'd talk to Dally later. Pony knew Darry didn't have the same level of authority over Dallas that he did over the rest of them</p><p>"Y'all have been running wild lately and it stops now," Darry started. Geez, Dar, way to begin. They hadn't been <em>that </em>bad. Other than Ponyboy constantly talking back, Soda skipping school practically every other day, and Steve and Two-Bit getting jailed the week before. But still! "I know y'all think that just because Mom and Dad aren't here, you can screw around and not get into trouble, but that's over. Y'all need to follow the same rules as always. I'm not putting up with this shit anymore."</p><p>"C'mon, Dar, we ain't doing anything that bad," Two-Bit said, apparently brave enough to voice Pony's thoughts.</p><p>Darry snorted. "You got jailed last week. You think my dad would've let you get away with that?"</p><p>"You're not Dad!" Ponyboy complained. Soda sent him a look, but Pony didn't really care.</p><p>"I'm the closest thing you got, kiddo," Darry said sternly and Ponyboy felt his eyes fill up. He already knew that! Why'd Darry have to go and remind him? Darry crossed his arms and continued on. "All y'all need someone to call you out when you do stupid shit. Someone to kick your ass when you screw up so that you learn not to to do it again."</p><p>Ponyboy's eyes widened at that. He knew that Darry was his and Soda's guardian and would probably end up punishing them like Mom and Dad did sooner or later. Hell, Darry had already popped him a handful of times since their parents died and threatened him with a whupping practically every day. But the gang? Darry had always been in charge when their parents weren't home, but it wasn't all the time. Darry had spanked, or at least popped, them all before, but it was always a 'Mom and Dad aren't available so Darry is gonna enforce their rules' thing, not a 'Darry makes his own rules and enforces them' thing. </p><p>"You can't whup them," Soda said hesitantly, "Steve and Johnny and Two-Bit and Dal. You're not their guardian."</p><p>"Never stopped Dad," Darry shrugged, looking at Steve, Johnny, and Two-Bit, "I think of y'all as brothers, so I plan on punishing y'all just like Pony and Soda. If you don't like it, there's not much I can do, but I'll still be the owner of this house and the leader of this outfit. I still have the final say in what goes on here. If you start to go off the deep end and you won't let me reign you in, you won't be able to come by here no more."</p><p>"You'd really turn us out?" Steve said, his eyes blazing. Ponyboy wasn't surprised that Steve would get so upset by that. His dad was always kicking him out.</p><p>"Not if you follow my rules," Darry said coolly, "But I'm running things around here now. So when you screw up, your choices are to answer to me or to find your way to the door. I'd much rather skin you than put you out, but if you mess up, you're gonna have to face one or the other. I won't have a bunch of hoods hanging around here."</p><p>"I don't want to be put out," Johnny said hesitantly, "You can whip me when I mess up."</p><p>Darry's face softened as he looked at Johnny. Ponyboy felt a pang of jealousy. Why wasn't Darry ever soft with him like that?</p><p>"I don't think you got much to worry about, Johnny. You never even got a spanking from my folks," Darry said, clearly trying to be reassuring, "And I ain't talking about just taking off my belt for everything little thing. It'll be just like before, except I'll be the one taking you to task."</p><p>How could Darry possible say it'll be just like before? Nothing was like before. Their parents were gone and Ponyboy barely recognized Darry anymore. </p>
<hr/><p>"So you're gonna talk to the teacher tomorrow?"  Darry asked, although it clearly wasn't a question. Pony and Darry had been arguing about Ponyboy's math grade. Darry was insistent that Pony talk to his math teacher to see if he could get extra credit to get his grade up to an A. Soda didn't really see what the big deal was. Pony always brought home As. What would one B do? He just hoped Pony would give in so they could all get on with their lives.</p><p>"Yeah," Ponyboy mumbled. Soda winced internally. That was not what Darry wanted to hear.</p><p>"What was that?" Darry asked, crossing his arms.</p><p>"Yes," Ponyboy said, louder this time.</p><p>"Yes, sir?" Darry asked, although once again it wasn't a question. Soda and Pony were both still getting used to calling their big brother 'sir.' He'd always been raised to say 'yes, sir' and 'yes, ma'am,' to adults, including his parents. Darry was now an adult, and basically their parent, and had insisted on 'sir's when they were in trouble. </p><p>"Fuck off," Ponyboy said and Soda nearly gasped. He hoped he wouldn't have to bury his kid brother's body that night.  Darry immediately grabbed him by the ear and dragged him over to the sink.</p><p>"Dar, take a breath," Soda warned as Darry ripped open the cabinet door to grab a bar of soap out. Soda was afraid his big brother was gonna shove that bar down Ponyboy's throat.</p><p>"Stay out of it, Sodapop," Darry barked. </p><p>"Why don't you just stick me and Soda in a boys' home?" Pony asked, "We'd probably be better off there than with some dumb bully."</p><p>"You ungrateful little brat!" Darry yelled, his face going red in fury. </p><p>"Darry," Soda said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder.</p><p>Darry looked at Soda, then Pony, then back at Soda. "I'm gonna go take a walk to cool off." </p><p>"Thanks, Soda," Ponyboy said as Darry stomped out of the house.</p><p>"Don't thank me yet," Soda said, "I ain't too happy with you. You hurt his feelings."</p><p>Pony snorted. "Darry doesn't have feelings, 'cept anger."</p><p>"He's got lots of feelings, he just doesn't know how to show 'em too good, so they come out as angry," Soda explained, annoyed, "And you were cruel to him and that's not okay."</p><p>"He's always yelling at me!" Pony complained.</p><p>"I know, and I'll talk to him about it," Soda acquiesced, "But if you don't shape up, he's gonna whup you and I ain't gonna stop him."</p><p>"He ain't our dad," Pony protested.</p><p>"He's the closest we got," Soda sighed, "And he loves you a lot. He's just got a lot of worries nowadays and you're not helping."</p><p>Pony's eyes went to his feet and Soda knew he'd gotten through to the kid at least a little bit. </p><p>"C'mon, kiddo, let's get this done," Soda said, tapping the counter to indicate to Ponyboy to hop up.</p><p>"<em>You're </em>gonna wash my mouth out?" Pony asked, looking horrified. Soda understood. He'd scolded Ponyboy before and smacked him upside the head, but never really punished him. Before their parents died, Soda hadn't ever needed to. Either Mom or Dad or Darry was always around to do it. </p><p>"Darry's gonna do it when he gets home, so we might as well get it done," Soda said, sticking the bar under the tap. Pony looked at him forlornly but hopped up on the counter. Soda handed him the bar and watched as Pony brought it to his mouth and grimaced. He let the kid try to put the bar in for a few seconds before gently taking it from him. He took the kid's chin in his other hand and put the bar to Pony's lips, pushing firmly until Ponyboy opened his mouth and let Soda slide the bar in. </p><p>Soda felt for the kid as he sat there with the soap in his mouth. The sixteen-year-old probably held the record for the most amount of mouth washings. Once, in junior high, he and Steve had played a game of who could say 'shit' the loudest without getting caught. His mom had marched them right into the kitchen, cut a bar of soap in half, and stuck a piece in each of their mouths. Soda would've preferred the wooden spoon over that.</p><p>Soda hopped up on the counter next to Ponyboy and slung his arm around the kid. He knew Darry wouldn't like it, but, tough. He wasn't Darry. Pony could use some comfort.</p><p>A few minutes later, Darry came back in looking much calmer. Actually, he just looked tired and resigned. Soda was glad he could take something off of Darry's plate by starting Pony's punishment.</p><p>"How long he been going?" Darry asked Soda.</p><p>Soda looked over at the clock. "'Bout three minutes."</p><p>"Okay, two more," Darry said, "Then y'all head to bed. You've got school tomorrow."</p><p>Soda nodded and Darry turned to walk toward his room. He made it half way out of the kitchen before pausing and turning around. Soda hoped he wasn't gonna scold Ponyboy some more. Thankfully, Darry just came over and kissed Ponyboy on the forehead. "Sorry I lost my temper."</p>
<hr/><p>"You're late," Darry said, crossing his arms.</p><p>"Only by twenty minutes," Ponyboy replied. Who cared if he was a few minutes late. He was home, wasn't he?</p><p>"What'd I tell you would happen if you were late again?" Darry asked.</p><p>"You said you'd skin me," Ponyboy mumbled. </p><p>"What was that?" Darry asked, putting a finger under Ponyboy's chin and tilting his head up. Pony hated when Darry did that. If he was gonna be scolded, he'd rather look at his shoes than Darry's face. </p><p>"You said you'd skin me," Ponyboy said, "But you can't do that!"</p><p>"Won't be the first time," Darry shrugged, "I was in charge of you plenty even when Mom and Dad were alive."</p><p>"But that was different!" Pony argued. "You weren't in charge all the time!"</p><p>"You think I like being in charge all the time?" Darry asked, "I'd much rather Mom and Dad were here to raise you and we could just be brothers. But guess what, kiddo, now it's on me to make sure you grow up good, and if that makes me the bad guy, then so be it."</p><p>"Mom and Dad weren't near as strict as you!"</p><p>"The stakes weren't as high when Mom and Dad were alive. You know we can only stay together 'long as we behave."</p><p>"I ain't gonna get in trouble staying out twenty extra minutes," Pony argued.</p><p>"I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall," Darry said, sounding exasperated, "I'm tired and wanna go to bed, so let's just get this done. Pull your pants down."</p><p>"Darry!" Ponyboy said, scandalized. Darry had spanked him without pants once before, but he'd already been in his underwear then. Their parents had to go out of town for a family emergency, so it was one of the few times that Darry had babysat overnight. Pony and Soda had gotten up for a midnight snack, which quickly turned into a food fight, destroying the kitchen and waking Darry up in the process. Darry had sent the eleven and fourteen year old to bed nursing sore butts.  </p><p>"Do it or I will," Darry said, sitting down on the couch.</p><p>"Where's Soda?" Pony asked.</p><p>"In y'alls room," Darry said, "I asked him to make himself scarce when we saw you coming up the drive. Didn't think you'd want an audience."</p><p>"He knows you're gonna whup me?" Pony whined.</p><p>"He's gonna hear anyway," Darry shrugged, "And sooner or later you're gonna hear him get his tail lit up, I'm sure. Now, come here."</p><p>Darry wait for Ponyboy to obey, just snagged him by the belt loop and pulled him closer. Pony tried to block Darry's hands as they reached for the button on his jeans, but Darry just batted them away. Soon enough, Pony's pants were around his ankles and Darry was pulling him over his knee. Pony wasn't sure he'd ever been over Darry's knees for a proper spanking before. He mostly got half spankings from Darry, standing up or bent under Darry's arm. </p><p>"From now on, every time you break curfew, we're gonna be here. I'm done giving you warnings about this." Darry said, placing his hand on Pony's ass, "Understand?"</p><p>"Yeah," Pony muttered, shifting when Darry smacked him in response. </p><p>"What was that?"</p><p>"Yessir," Pony whined. Darry tapped his backside twice in warning before swatting. Pony really hated being in this position. Before his parents had died, Pony had been the more well-behaved than Soda or Darry ever were at his age. He still got spanked here and there, but seeing his big brothers get whupped prevented him from making a lot of the same mistakes. Plus, he always like to stay inside and read or hang out with Johnny, so he wasn't doing reckless stuff or getting into fights like his big brothers were.</p><p>Ponyboy shifted his hips as Darry's hand continued to light his ass up. He swore that Darry's hand was harder than their dad's. Or maybe it had just been a while since he'd been spanked. Either way, his ass was smarting and Darry didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. It wasn't fair! Darry used to come home late for curfew sometimes. Now, it was like Darry had forgotten what it was ever like to be a kid!</p><p>"Owww, too hard!" Pony whined, starting to kick his legs. Darry stopped mid-swing and Pony hoped that meant Darry had decide to stop. Instead, Darry pulled at his underwear and Pony could tell Darry was checking the damage.</p><p>"I know you're not gonna like this, but these are coming down," Darry said, pulling Pony's briefs down before he could protest, "I gotta see what I'm doing."</p><p>"Darry, no!" Pony sniffled, throwing his hand back to protect himself. He wasn't particularly modest, having shared a room with both his brothers for most of his life. He was more concerned about how much more Darry's hand would hurt on his bare ass. His dad's hand certainly had.</p><p>"Oh hush, I used to change your diaper," Darry said, moving Pony's hand and continuing to spank. Pony was right; Darry's hand did hurt a lot more on his bare butt. He started to really bawl as Darry peppered his backside and upper thighs with spanks.</p><p>"Every moment you stay out past curfew is a moment me and Soda have to worry about you," Darry lectured, "If I had it my way, I'd never let you out of the house after dark, but I'm trying to give you so freedom. <em>Don't abuse it</em>." Darry smacked Ponyboy's legs with the last three words and Ponyboy howled.</p><p>"I can't have you running around town like a little hood," Darry lectured, "The state is just looking for reasons to take you away."</p><p>"Won't, owwwww!"</p><p>"That's good, but there's one thing I haven't heard from you yet tonight."</p><p>Pony knew exactly what Darry wanted to hear, but the stubborn side of him didn't want to say it. He wasn't sorry, damnit! Sure, he was plenty sorry he was ass up over Darry's knee, but he wasn't sorry for staying out. Darry was being unreasonable. </p><p>"My hand can last a lot longer than your butt, kiddo," Darry said, "Just say you're sorry and we'll be done."</p><p>Pony held out for a few more seconds before Darry started targeting the bottom of his butt, right near his legs. He couldn't hold out any more. "Sorrrryyyyyy!" </p><p>"Thank you," Darry said. Pony sobbed over his big brother's knee, both from the pain in his butt and the unfairness of it all.</p><p>"C'mon kid, stop crying," Darry said, patting Pony's back. Pony decided he'd had enough of Darry for now, climbing off Darry's knee and pulling up his underwear as he went. He kicked off jeans and ran toward his bedroom.</p><p>"Sodaaaa!" Pony wailed, launching himself at his middle brother.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Soda asked, sitting Pony on his knee.</p><p>"Darry spanked me," Pony cried.</p><p>"Yeah, kid, I know," Soda said, "But what got you so upset? Ain't like you never been spanked before."</p><p>"But this is different!" Pony whined.</p><p>"Why is it different?"</p><p>"Because Darry hates me!" </p><p>"Darry does not hate you," Soda said.</p><p>"He does!" Pony argued, "He wishes he can stick me in some boys' home!"</p><p>"Dar, we need you," Soda called. Pony buried his face into Soda's chest in embarrassment as Darry came in the room. Soda sighed. "Can you please tell Ponyboy you don't hate him."</p><p>"Hate him?" Darry said, sounding confused, "Of course I don't hate him."</p><p>"He thinks you do," Soda said, sounding exasperated.</p><p>"I don't hate you," Darry repeated, mirroring Soda's tone, "Sometimes I don't understand you and sometimes you drive me crazy when you don't use your head, but I could never hate you. You're my kid brother."</p><p>"But what if I keep messing up and not using my head?" Pony sniffled.</p><p>"Then I'll keep whupping your behind," Darry said, "I won't hate you though."</p><p>"Even if I say mean stuff?" Pony asked, timidly. Darry was being softer than usual and Pony suddenly felt bad for the mean things he'd said to Darry since their parents died.</p><p>"Even then," Darry said, "It's part of being a kid. I might holler or put soap in your mouth or skin you, but nothing you say will make me hate you."</p><p>Pony nodded, forcing himself to stop bawling like a baby. A part of him still believed that Darry still wanted to stick him in a home, but it was easier to believe Soda and Darry, at least for tonight. </p>
<hr/><p> Darry felt like the biggest fraud. He was only two and a half years out of high school and now he was expected to meet with the principal as Soda's parent. And, as Ponyboy always reminded him, he wasn't Dad. Honestly, he had no idea what to do with Soda. The kid was failing all but two classes and was begging to drop out. Darry had said no, but the week before principal had called, saying that with all of Soda's absences and his poor grades, it was likely he would fail the tenth grade. Darry knew that Soda really did try to learn, at least when he showed up to class, but he was still really struggling, so he was seriously considering letting Soda call it quits. </p><p>"I'm here to see Mr. Wright about Sodapop Curtis," Darry said. Soda was in trouble yet again and now the vice principal was insisting on meeting with Darry.</p><p>"Yes, Mr. Curtis, they're expecting you," the twenty-something receptionist said. At least she wasn't here when Darry was still in school. Darry made his way into the vice principal's office, remembering where it was from his own two trips there. </p><p>"Come in," Mr. Wright said as Darry knocked on the door. Darry opened the door to see Soda in one of the chairs, squirming a little bit, his face flushed and his eyes red-rimmed. Clearly, the kid had already been paddled. "Have a seat, Darrel, erm, Mr. Curtis."</p><p>"Darrel is fine," Darry replied with a grim smile. It was way too weird to be referred to as Mr. Curtis by a man who paddled his ass just a few years prior.</p><p>"Your brother had an altercation with his algebra teacher today. He refused to do any of his work and was insolent when Mrs. Andrews asked him to complete his assignment."</p><p>"I wasn't insolent. I was just making jokes about how my score would be the same whether I did the work or not."</p><p>"Sodapop," Darry sighed.</p><p>"At least I went to class this time," Soda tried to joke, but his grin faded with Darry's glare.</p><p>"He doesn't seem to take anything seriously. Since this isn't the first time we've had this problem, I gave him six licks of the paddle, but if this happens again, I'll have to suspend him. I know there are extenuating circumstances, but I can't allow him to be a disruption to other students."</p><p>"Yessir, I understand," Darry said. </p><p>"Can't you just expel me already? I don't wanna go to school no more." </p><p>"We'll talk about this at home," Darry hissed, squeezing Soda's knee. </p><p>"Just let me drop out so I can go to work full time."</p><p>Darry leaned in to growl in Soda's ear. "The only place you're gonna be going is over my knee, little boy, and I'm about to put you over it right now."</p><p>"Would you boys like the room?" Mr. Wright asked, "I can give you a few minutes before we continue our conversation."</p><p>"No, sir, thank you," Darry said, "Sodapop, go wait outside. I'd like to speak to Mr. Wright alone."</p><p>"I wanna stay," Soda protested.</p><p>Done with arguing, Darry pulled the kid up by the bicep and smacked his backside. "Outside, now."</p><p>Once Soda had left the room, Darry turned to the vice principal, "What would he have to do to officially drop out?"</p>
<hr/><p>Soda was so much happier now that he was out of school. Working full time made him feel proud, like he was contributing something. All school ever did was remind him how dumb he was. Now he was out of there, had a job he liked, and a girlfriend he loved. He still missed his mom and dad like crazy, but he finally felt like things were going in the right direction. There was only one problem--his brothers were ready to kill each other.  </p><p>Case in point, when he'd gotten home from work that afternoon, he heard the distinctive sound of hand meeting ass coming from his bedroom. Soda couldn't quite make out what was being said, but he could tell from the tone that Darry was on a roll lecturing. Soda hoped they were almost done as he went into the kitchen to fix himself a snack. Maybe he'd even clean up a little, just to have something to distract himself. God, it felt like this was their new routine-- Darry spanks Ponyboy and Soda tries to pretend they don't exist. </p><p>Soda was relieved when the smacking stopped and the door opened. He was expecting Pony to come flying out to complain about how mean Darry was. Instead, Darry walked out with a grim expression on his face. Soda watched as Darry came into the room and grabbed the wooden spoon off of the counter. Soda opened his mouth to protest. </p><p>"Don't," Darry said, holding up a hand. Knowing that Darry was in a 'less talking, more smacking' mood, Soda decided not to say anything. He knew nothing was gonna stop Darry in this mood and all arguing would do is earn Soda a sore ass as well. As soon as Darry walked back into the bedroom, Soda could hear arguing between the two. Clearly, Ponyboy was not particularly repentant for whatever Darry was upset about. </p><p>Soon enough, the arguing turned to scolding from one side and wailing from the other and Soda just couldn't take it anymore. He spied Darry's keys sitting out on the counter and grabbed them. He knew he wasn't supposed to take the truck out without permission, but at this point, he really didn't care. He just wanted to drive somewhere far away from the fighting that was always going on in the house. </p><p>Soda drove around aimlessly with the windows down until he finally felt some of the tension seep out of him. He looked down at the clock on the dashboard. Two hours!? Soda hadn't realized he'd been driving that long. Darry was gonna have his ass. </p><p>"Hey kid," Soda said when he came into to the house. It looked like they'd already had dinner as Ponyboy was at the sink washing dishes.</p><p>"Where you been?" Ponyboy asked.</p><p>"Just out for a drive," Soda said, "Darry didn't go to hard on you, did he?" Soda felt a pang of guilt. Pony was usually mad at Darry after a spanking and would run to Soda for comfort. </p><p>"My butt hurts but I'm okay," Pony said, giving Soda a small smile, "He wants you to meet him in his room."</p><p>Soda winced at that. "He mad?"</p><p>"A little," Pony admitted. Soda nodded. A little was probably an understatement. Taking a deep breath, Soda steeled himself to go face his big brother. </p><p>"You're home," Darry said, looking up from the socks he was sorting. </p><p>"Yeah, uh, yessir," Soda replied.  </p><p>"I don't remember you asking to use the truck. Or leaving a note saying where you were going. Or calling to say you weren't gonna be home for dinner."</p><p>"I lost track of time," Soda said, "You were whupping Ponyboy and I had to get out of here."</p><p>"Then you take a walk," Darry said, "Or you call Steve to come pick you up. You don't take my truck out for two hours, leaving me with no idea where you went or when you were coming back."</p><p>"I'm sorry," Soda said, "I didn't think."</p><p>"I'm trying so damn hard to get Ponyboy to use his head. I thought you were the one I didn't have to worry about so much."</p><p>"I'm sorry," Soda repeated.</p><p>"Well, one good thing came out of it at least," Darry sighed, "You not being here meant Pony couldn't run to you afterward. He actually let me comfort him this time."</p><p>"Yeah?" Soda said, perking up a little at that. Pony always ran to Soda after a spanking and would give Darry the silent treatment for at least a few hours. Soda didn't really understand it. Whenever Darry whupped him, Soda had no problem crying his eyes out in Darry's arms. He always wanted Darry's assurance that he was forgiven after getting his butt tanned raw. To Soda's recollection, Pony had been the same way when their parents were alive, clinging to their dad after he got spanked. Actually, the few times Ponyboy was mad at one of his parents after getting a spanking, he ran to Darry for comfort. </p><p>"Yeah, sat in my lap and everything," Darry replied, a little grin peeking through his stern expression. </p><p>"Progress," Soda said, before feeling his stomach growl.</p><p>Darry must've heard it too as he frowned. "I should send you to bed without dinner."</p><p>"Yessir," Soda replied, knowing that Darry wouldn't actually do that, but it was his segue back into discipline mode. </p><p>"C'mon, let's get this over with. You can eat soon as we're done. Pants down."</p><p>"Yessir," Soda said again, resigning himself to his fate. He unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down to his knees, letting Darry pull him down. Soda resisted a yelp as Darry started tanning his hide.</p><p>"No driving for a week," Darry said, "Hopefully that'll make you remember not to take the truck without permission."</p><p>"Ah, yessir," Soda said as Darry smacked the seat of his underwear. </p><p>"When you go out, you <em>leave a note</em>," Darry lectured, spanking Soda's bare thighs hard with the last three words. "We shouldn't have to wonder <em>where you are</em> or when you're <em>coming</em> <em>back</em>."</p><p>"Sorry, sorry," Soda gasped as Darry continued to light up his ass.</p><p>"I know it ain't fun to listen to the kid getting a spanking-- it sure ain't fun giving one-- but we don't just get to run from our problems."</p><p>"Won't do it again," Soda promised. Honestly, he'd promise anything just to get his big brother to stop skinning his behind.</p><p>"Y'know, I'm sure Ponyboy doesn't like having to listen to you get punished," Darry said more gently than before, "If you can't use your head for the sake of your own butt, maybe you can use it for his sake."</p><p>Soda nodded frantically, hoping that Darry would take that for any answer. He held on to Darry's ankle for dear life as Darry's hard hand paddled his ass and legs. </p><p>"Alright, little buddy, we're done," Darry said. It wasn't a real bad whupping, but Soda's ass was still smarting and he was breathing heavily. He was more than ready to be right side up on Darry's lap.</p><p>"Sorry," Soda sniffled into Darry's chest once Darry lifted him up. It wasn't a particularly bad whupping, nothing like the time Darry had belted him, but it wasn't light by any means. </p><p>"I know, kid, I just want you to be safe. It would kill me if anything happened to you," Darry said, squeezing him. He knew Darry was trying to be comforting, but the guilt made him cry harder.</p><p>"Hey, no need for that," Darry said, obviously picking up on his guilty tears, "We all make mistakes but we learn from them and we move on."</p><p>"Won't do nothing stupid from now on," Soda said. </p><p>Darry laughed. "I highly doubt that. It's part of being 16. It's my job to help you learn from the stupid things you do."</p><p>"Wish Mom and Dad were here so you could just do the stupid things with me," Soda said, flashing Darry his signature grin. </p><p>"Me too, little buddy," Darry said, "Ready to go show Ponyboy you're alright?" Darry didn't wait for an answer, just picked him up and carried him bridal-style.</p><p>"Dar, I'm too big to be carried," Soda complained, not really meaning it. He was just glad none of the boys were there to see.</p><p>"Apparently not," Darry chuckled, sitting down on the couch and settling Soda on his lap. "Pony, get in here."</p><p>Pony came in from the kitchen, looking nervous. Darry really needed to work on being more gentle with the kid. </p><p>"Come sit with us," Darry said, patting the space next to them. Pony sat down and Darry slung an arm around him. Soda grinned to reassure the kid and Pony relaxed leaning on Darry.</p><p>"How bout y'all try to behave for at least a week?" Darry said, "I don't think my hand can take anymore."</p><p>"We will Dar," Soda said. Well, at least we would. He couldn't promise anything from Ponyboy. The kid was still struggling with the transition of Darry being in charge. Darry was too, but Soda had noticed him trying to holler less. He knew that Pony and Darry would probably keep fighting until the kid went off the college, but Soda would try to play peacekeeper. For now, though, all was peaceful and he was happy just to sit on Darry's lap with Ponyboy beside them. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please let me know if you have other stories you'd like to see! If you requested something a while back and I still haven't gotten to it, feel free to remind me. I'm trying to write as many as I can, but sometimes I forget what people have requested!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Bootcamp Curtis (part 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Curly was working Tim's last nerve. The kid was always a little shithead, but this was new. Tim had practically worn his arm out whupping the kid twice in the past two weeks. First, it was because Curly and Bobby Clark, one of his boys, got into a fight. Usually, Tim just let his men fight, knowing they need to blow off a little steam, but this time Curly pulled a knife. Luckily, Tim yanked him away before he could do any damage. Curly's ass took the brunt of Tim's frustration for that.</p><p>The second time was because Curly and two of Tim's men decided it was a good fucking idea to get themselves arrested in the middle of Socville for disturbing the peace. Tim had bailed them all out and kicked  the crap out of Pete and Danny before dragging Curly home and whupping him again. Usually, a good ass beating would keep Curly in line for at least a week, but not this time. Curly's mouth seemed to get even worse after that second go with Tim's belt.</p><p>"What the fuck is wrong with you lately?" Tim finally asked. </p><p>"Goddamnit, Timmy, get off my back," Curly shot back.</p><p>"You better fix your tone before I fix it for you," Tim ordered.</p><p>"Oh screw you," Curly said, turning to storm off. Tim caught up to him in two strides, spinning him around by the collar. He yanked the kid close and smacked him across the mouth. Tim didn't hit that hard, hoping just to startle the kid. Capitalizing on the Curly's momentary surprise, Tim dragged the boy into their bedroom.</p><p>"Stay in here till I come back," Tim growled, "I need a smoke."</p><p>"Can't you just fucking clock me and get it over with?" Curly complained.</p><p>"Is that what this is about? You want me to hit you?" Tim yelled incredulously.</p><p>"I want you to stop treating me like some punk kid."</p><p>"Damnit, you are a punk kid,"Tim growled, "The only way I'm gonna stop whupping you is if you stop doing stupid shit."</p><p>"You just want me to act like them Curtis boys. Say 'yes, sir' and 'no, sir' and all that shit," Curly complained, flopping down on his bed.</p><p>"I ain't never made you call me 'sir,'" Tim said, rolling his eyes, "But yeah, Darry makes sure his boys actually stay out of the reformatory and I want that for you."</p><p>"Why not just tie me to the tree outside so I can't get in no trouble?" Curly grumbled.</p><p>"Don't tempt me," Tim said with a half chuckle, "You keep going the way you're going and Darry Curtis is gonna look like a pushover compared to me."</p><p>"I should just go find another place to live," Curly said.</p><p>"If that's what you want," Tim said, a slow grin spreading across his face.</p>
<hr/><p>As Tim turned on his heel and left the room, Curly felt his stomach drop. Curly knew that grin. Tim was up to something.  </p><p>A few minutes later, Tim came back into the room carrying a paper grocery bag. Curly watched warily as Tim started pulling his clothes out of the closet.</p><p>"The fuck are you doing?" Curly said.</p><p>"You said you wanted to leave and Darry Curtis was nice enough to let you stay with them for a while."</p><p>Shit. Fuck. Shit. Curly knew from Ponyboy that Darry was even worse than Tim. Even when Tim threatened to make Darry look like a pushover, Curly didn't really believe it. Tim always got tired of playing drill sergeant after a while and gave up. Darry never got tired when it came to whupping ass, according to Ponyboy. </p><p>"C'mon, you know that's not what I meant," Curly said.</p><p>"Well, too late now, I already set it up," Tim grinned. "You're gonna stay there till I pick you up on Friday."</p><p>Friday? It was only Sunday afternoon. There was no way Curly would survive a whole week with Darry. </p><p>"Darry'll kick me out before the weeks up," Curly said, faking confidence.</p><p>"I wouldn't be so sure about that. If Darry managed to tame Dally, I'm sure he can handle a brat like you," Tim said, "Now get your stuff together. He's expecting us soon and you don't want to start off the week on a bad foot.</p><p>"Fuck you, Tim," Curly said, but reluctantly started shoving shit into the bag. Before long, he was in the passenger seat of Tim's car on their way to the Curtis house. </p><p>"I know you're pretty pissed at me," Tim began, "But I'm trying everything I got to straighten you out. I want you to actually live to see your 18th birthday."</p><p>"Whatever," Curly grumbled, putting his feet up on the dashboard. Tim was just being a jackass as usual.</p><p>The two didn't speak for the rest of the short drive. When they pulled up at the house, Tim grabbed Curly's bag in one hand and the kid's collar with the other. Curly tried to shrug him off but Tim held firm.</p><p>"How you doin', Tim?" Darry asked, extending his hand to Tim. </p><p>"Better, since you've so kindly offered to whip the kid into shape for me."</p><p>"Hi, Curly," Darry said with a smile, but Curly didn't trust it, "Why don't you go put your stuff in Ponyboy's room?"</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Curly said.</p><p>Tim handed him his bad and gave him a squeeze on the shoulder. "Behave. I'll see you Friday."</p><p>Curly rolled his eyes and stomped into the house. He threw his shit down and flopped down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before he heard Darry's voice. "Curly, come out here for a second. I wanna talk to ya."</p><p>Curly considered just climbing out the window right then and there, but he figure Darry would catch him and beat the tar out of him.  So instead, he came out and sat down on the couch where Darry pointed.</p><p>"I wanna talk to you about house rules," Darry said, "It ain't fair of me to just haul off and whup you for something you didn't know was wrong."</p><p>"You don't gotta talk to me like a little brat," Curly complained.</p><p>"We'll see about that," Darry said, "And that brings me to my first point. Respect is non-negotiable around here. No back talk, no lip, no rolling your eyes at me. 'Yes, sir' and 'No, sir' when I'm taking you to task."</p><p>"Nice of you to give me a chance before you assume I'm gonna screw up," Curly mumbled, but Darry just ignored him.</p><p>"Second rule is do as you're told. You don't have to like it, but if I ask you to do something, you do it. If I tell you to stop, you stop. Same goes with Sodapop. He's in charge of you when I'm not around."</p><p>"So I'm gonna have both of you whupping my ass?" Curly complained. Soda Curtis was only like two years older than him. It wasn't fair!</p><p>"Since you're only here a short time, I'm gonna have Soda leave the whuppings to me. If you're really out of line, he'll send you to his and Ponyboy's room to wait for me. He can also stick you in the corner or pop your backside if need be."</p><p>"Can y'all stop treating me like a fuckin' five year old?" Curly muttered. </p><p>"I'm gonna let that one slide, but fair warning, cuss at me again and you'll be eating soap. Understood?"</p><p>"Yeah," Curly replied.</p><p>"Yes, sir," Darry corrected. </p><p>"Yes, sir," Curly ground out.</p><p>"Good, next time without the attitude," Darry said, "And speaking of cussing, I don't mind you cussing with the boys when everyone's joking around, but not in anger and certainly not when you're being punished. If I find that you can't tell the difference, you won't be cussing at all."</p><p>Curly nodded so Darry continued on. "Tim's asked me to treat you just like Ponyboy. That means you'll have a curfew. Pony's is 9 on weeknights, 12 on weekends. I expect you here by the same time."</p><p>Curly thought that was fucking ridiculous, but he was still trying to make it through this conversation without an ass beating. He could figure out how to get around the curfew when Darry wasn't staring him down.</p><p>"You also need to ask permission before you go anywhere and I reserve the right to say no," Darry continued, "All your homework needs to be done and checked by me before you go anywhere."</p><p>"You gonna fuckin' follow me around all day at school?" Curly muttered under his breath. Before he knew it, Darry had a firm grasp on his bicep and was dragging him over to the sink. Curly tried to resist, but Darry was fucking strong. He felt all of three years old as Darry hoisted him up to sit on the counter, but as he tried to get down, Darry held him firm.</p><p>"You're gonna sit here with a bar of soap in your mouth for five minutes. Whether you do that with or without a sore ass is up to you." Curly glared at him but didn't say anything. Apparently Darry took that as an answer because he let go of Curly and reached for a bar of soap. Curly made the most of the opportunity and jumped down off the counter, intending to bolt out the door. </p><p>"Sore ass it is, then," Darry said, catching him by the collar before he could go anywhere. That really set Curly off. He started wriggling in Darry's grasp and screaming every expletive he could think of at the man. His yells got even louder and more vicious as Darry pulled his pants down. It didn't really seem to matter to Darry. The older boy just pulled him over his knee and held him there. Curly was so pissed he didn't even realize that Darry hadn't hit him yet. </p><p>"You done?" Darry asked when Curly's screaming morphed into silent fury. Curly just kicked the ground in response. </p><p>"I didn't think I had to make a rule about tantrums but here we are," Darry said, his hand starting to fall on the seat of Curly's underwear. All Curly could think was that he really hated this. Yeah, Tim whupped his ass with a belt, but being put over Darry's knee and spanked was mortifying. "And if you keep acting like a cranky toddler, you'll find yourself put to bed at seven o'clock like one."</p><p>Curly wanted to continue to cuss Darry out, but he tried to hold his tongue. Last thing he wanted was for Ponyboy and Sodapop and whoever else would be hanging around the house that night to see him get sent to bed early.</p><p>Once Darry had apparently gotten his fill of whaling on Curly's ass, he stopped spanking and rested his hand on Curly's back. "You ready to behave now?"</p><p>"Fine, whatever," Curly said, gasping when Darry landed an almighty swat.</p><p>"Try again."</p><p>"I'm ready to behave," Curly muttered. He figured it was that or 'yes, sir' and nothing was more humiliating than that.</p><p>"Alright, you can stand up," Darry said. Curly shot up and tugged his pants up, ready for this indignity to be over. As soon as Curly's pants were up, Darry took him by the shoulder and led him to the sink. He'd hoped to be allowed to stand for this part, but no dice. Darry once again lifted him up by the armpits and put him down on the counter. His ass screamed in protest, but he knew fighting Darry would just earn him an even sorer ass.</p><p>Curly watched as Darry lathered up the bar of soap, staring at it in disgust as Darry brought it close to his face. He glared at Darry and didn't open his mouth, unwilling to go down that easy. Darry brought his free hand up to Curly's face and the kid expected Darry to crack him in the mouth or tug his hair or something. Instead Darry just pinched his nose, making him unable to breathe without opening his mouth. He had to hand it to Darry. The guy was smart. Curly held his breath until he couldn't any longer and gasped for air. Darry let him take one breath before swiftly sticking the bar in.</p><p>"Ten minutes," Darry said, and Curly's eyes went wide. That was double what Darry originally said!</p><p>"You sai' figh mi-its," Curly protested around the bar of soap. </p><p>"That's before the string of cusses you hollered at me while you were over my knee," Darry replied cooly, "You're lucky I only added another five."</p><p>"Jerk," Curly muttered, and Darry slapped his thigh.</p><p>"Hush up," Darry ordered, "Any more words out of you and I'll double your time."</p><p>Darry raised an eyebrow as to dare Curly to say anything. Curly just glared at his feet, not wanting Darry to add any more time.</p><p>"Another rule. I expect your absolute best behavior when you're being punished. No lip, no cussing, no defiance. Anything less shows me that you're not taking your punishment seriously and learning from it."</p><p>Curly fought an eye-roll at that. Darry was dreaming if he thought Curly learn anything while he was here. No, Curly would just make it through the week and keep on as he always had. </p><p>"You're also gonna pull your weight around here and do chores like Ponyboy does." </p><p>Oh, so that was what Curtis got out of this arrangement. Curly wanted to tell Darry to where he could shove his chores, but Darry continued on. "Nothing crazy, just help Pony with the dishes and some basic cleaning up when I ask. No more than anyone else who lives here is expected to do."</p><p>Curly would believe it when he saw it. Today it was dishes, tomorrow he'd be shining Darry's shoes. No way, no how.</p><p>"The biggest rule I have is you don't do nothing to put yourself in danger," Darry said, "That includes not walking alone and no starting fights."</p><p>Well, that was bullshit. Curly had been walking around the city alone for as long as he could remember. He wasn't some little pansy who didn't know how to wield a blade. And no fighting? Curly had seen the Curtis boys fight before. Hell, he'd fought with the Curtis boys before. </p><p>"I'm serious about the fighting one. I don't want you out there starting fights. I know some of my older boys do, and I'm trying to nip it in the bud, but you and Pony both aren't even 16. You don't need to be fighting unless it's absolutely necessary."</p><p>Curly figured that his definition of necessary was different than Darry's. </p><p>"And there's absolutely no fighting with any of my boys. We're not a gang, we're a family. The boys know the rules and if y'all fight, you'll all be ending up with sore backsides. Savvy?"</p><p>He knew there was no way he'd end the week without fighting with Dally, or maybe one of the others, but Curly nodded, getting desperate to have this goddamn bar out of his mouth. </p><p>"This should go without saying, but nothing that'll get you locked up. That means no drinking or drugs. No lifting hubcaps, keying cars, or slashing tires. No smashing mailboxes. No breaking and entering. And no carrying heaters or any other weapons, other than a blade, and that's only for self defense."</p><p>"And last thing," Darry said, "Just because I didn't explicitly list it, doesn't mean you're allowed to do it. I expect you to use an ounce of common sense. I don't want wanna hear that I never told you that you weren't allowed to set the couch on fire or do backflips off the roof, or whatever else your teenage brain can come up with."</p><p>If Curly wasn't sucking on a bar of soap, he would've snorted at that. Curtis was really covering his bases. Curly would have to be on his best behavior if he didn't want to go home with his ass in a sling. </p>
<hr/><p>By the time Darry dropped Curly and Ponyboy off at school on Monday morning, he was exhausted. A ten minute sentence in the corner the night before had turned into a three hour event. Darry had warned Curly every time he left the corner, talked, or turned around, the time would start over. He knew the boys were watching the proceedings in shock. If any of his boys had behaved like that, the wooden spoon would already have come out, but Darry was treating Curly a little different. Like he was an overgrown toddler.</p><p>Darry had remembered a time when his parents did the same extended time-out thing with Sodapop when he was about three.  Soda usually got sent to the corner for being rambunctious, yelling and jumping and running in the house after he was told to stop. Even after his time in the corner, Soda would be just as rambunctious. Hell, he'd be rambunctious even during the time-out. When Darry was little, misbehaving in the corner usually earned him a pop on the bottom, but the time wouldn't restart. His parents had tried that with Soda, but their middle child was willing to risk a swat if it meant he could turn around and say whatever had just popped into his head. Eventually, they just started restarting his mom's little egg timer when Soda messed around and it worked like a charm. Soda would end up staying there until he calmed himself down enough to stay quiet and face the wall for five minutes and then his punishment would be over. </p><p>Figuring Curly never had much discipline in his early life, Darry was trying to be patient. He wasn't letting Curly get away with any shit that Ponyboy wouldn't get away with, but was trying to keep Curly's upbringing in mind when doling out punishments. If nothing else, it would keep Curly's backside from being black and blue. Still, he wasn't exactly gentle with Curly and the kid ended up getting dragged back to the corner by the ear quite a few times.</p><p>"Darry, can me and Curly go to the bowling alley tonight?" Ponyboy asked the minute Darry walked in the door that evening. Darry would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved to have Curly out of his hair for a little while.</p><p>"All your homework done?" </p><p>"Yeah," Pony replied.</p><p>"What about you, Curly? Homework done?" Darry asked. He would've bet his last dollar that Curly's wasn't done, but he was trying to give the kid a chance.</p><p>"Yeah, relax," Curly muttered. </p><p>"Watch the attitude," Darry said, "Lemme check it and then y'all can go."</p><p>"We're not grade schoolers! You don't need to fuckin' check!" Curly exploded. Now Darry was sure Curly was lying. </p><p>"Language," Darry said, smacking the kid's backside once. "Now, you have till the count of three to show me some completed homework or we're gonna have a conversation."</p><p>Ponyboy, who had already pulled his work out for Darry to check, retreated to the living room, clearly not wanting to be part of this showdown. Curly crossed his arm and glared at Darry stubbornly. Darry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "One." </p><p>"Two," Darry said, narrowing his eyes at Curly. </p><p>"Three." Curly counted for himself, practically daring Darry to take a swing at him. Darry was taken aback. His boys never dared to be that rude. If they did, they'd already be bent over the counter getting lit up with the spoon. </p><p>"Alright, I guess I'll have to assume you didn't do your homework. So that makes lying, disobedience, and backtalk. I'd say you definitely earned yourself a spanking, little man." </p><p>"Go to hell," Curly muttered, and Darry had had enough. He tugged the kid in close by the arm and smacked his backside. He continued for five or six good whacks before reaching for the button on the kid's jeans. Since Darry had warmed Curly's tail the day before, he didn't want to risk brusing the kid if he couldn't see what he was doing. </p><p>Curly wriggled in his grasp as Darry tugged his pants down. Never letting go of Curly, Darry managed to pull out a chair and sit down on it, pulling Curly over his knee. Tugging the boy's briefs down, Darry surveyed the damage. As he expected, Curly's butt was a little pink, probably from the smacks Darry just handed out. Darry figured that Curly's butt was pretty much healed from the spanking the day before.</p><p>"You and I are gonna get along a lot better once you learn how to follow the rules," Darry said, smacking the kid's backside. He listened for Curly's response and was glad to hear that Curly wasn't swearing at him for once. Maybe there was hope for the kid after all.</p><p>"Believe it or not, I don't wanna whup you every day you're here," Darry continued, spanking as he lectured, "I promised your brother I'd treat you like one of mine. I've been trying to give you a little leeway since I know you're not used to me yet, but my patience only goes so far."</p><p>"You call this leeway?" Curly grumbled. Darry had to hide a chuckle.</p><p>"Yeah, kid, I do," Darry said, "If my boys acted the way you do, they'd be feeling more than my hand."</p><p>Curly humphed but didn't say anything. Darry decided to let his palm do the talking for a little while. He peppered Curly's backside with swats until the kid started clenching and unclenching his toes, which Darry figured was his way of dealing with the sting in his ass.</p><p>"When we're done here, you're gonna sit at the table and do your homework where I can keep an eye on you," Darry said, unsurprised when Curly tensed at that.</p><p>"C'mon, that's cruel!" Curly complained</p><p>"No it ain't. You had plenty of time to get it done before I got home. And even if you hadn't, you could've said, 'No, Darry, I haven't done my homework yet, I'll do it now,'" Darry lectured, "But then you had to go and lie to me and then give me lip. Now you get to do it sitting on a sore backside."</p><p>"Who gives a shit about my homework anyway," Curly muttered.</p><p>"I give a shit," Darry said, smacking the bottom of Curly's butt hard in emphasis, "While you're with me, you're gonna do your homework. No excuses."</p><p>"Fine, I'll do it," Curly said, "Just lemme up!"</p><p>"Clearly we ain't done if you're still trying to boss me around," Darry said. He wouldn't stand his boys trying to order him around while over his knee, but he knew this was how Tim and Curly communicated with one another. Darry's hand was smarting and he was starting to regret not grabbing the wooden spoon, but he didn't feel like ordering Curly to go get it and dealing with the tantrum that would cause. Instead, Darry reached down and grabbed one of his sneakers off.</p><p>"Ten and we're done," Darry said. He didn't give Curly any time to fight back as he brought the sneaker down on Curly's ass. He'd never given more than a few whacks over pants with the sneaker, so he watched Curly's reaction and the color of his ass carefully. The kid was still tense over Darry's lap, knees and elbows locked. Darry wasn't trying to break the kid so he didn't worry that Curly wasn't crying like his brothers usually did. He was content that the kid was learning his lesson.</p><p>At the end of ten good whacks, Curly's ass and the top of his thighs were was glowing red. Darry righted the kid's underwear. The day before, Darry had let Curly stomp off and sulk in Soda and Ponyboy's room, but he thought that might have been part of Curly's attitude in the evening. Today, Darry wasn't making that mistake. He pulled Curly up and sat the kid on his knee. </p><p>"Lemme go," Curly groaned, struggling in Darry's arms. </p><p>"Uh uh, I wanna talk to you," Darry said</p><p>"Like this?" Curly said, looking mortified.</p><p>"On my knee or over it," Darry replied. Curly scowled but stopped fighting. Darry rewarded that by sliding Curly so that his sore butt was hanging between the man's spread knees. He looked at the kid's face. "I don't like spanking you, really I don't." </p><p>"Seems like you like it," Curly muttered petulantly.</p><p>"You ain't the first one to think that," Darry sighed, "But I really don't like being a hard ass. I know you've had a tough life--"</p><p>"I don't need your pity," Curly scoffed.</p><p>"You ain't getting it," Darry said, tapping Curly's hip in warning at the interruption, "I was gonna say, I know you've had a tough life, but so have the rest of us. It don't give you the right to be a dick to me and everyone around you. Savvy?"</p><p>"Yeah," Curly muttered, and Darry decided to let it go at that. </p><p>"Alright, forgiven," Darry said, squeezing Curly in a hug before he could protest.</p><p>"Can I get up now?" Curly complained.</p><p>"Yeah," Darry said, releasing his hold around the kid. He let Curly pull his pants up and gave him few seconds to rub his ass. "Alright, homework time. And you can bet your ass I'll be checking it." </p>
<hr/><p>"Pony, Curly, y'all are on dish duty," Soda said as they finished eating dinner on Tuesday night. Darry was working late so it was just the three teens. He'd cooked so it was the kids' turn to do the dishes. Pony nodded and started getting up, but Curly clearly had other plans.</p><p>"Pass," Curly said, kicking his feet up on the table.  Soda glared the kid had been trying to get under Darry's skin since he arrived, and now that Darry wasn't home, he was apparently turning his attention to Soda. Ever since Soda had gotten home from work that evening, Curly had been needling him. Soda had never been the biggest fan of Curly, thinking that Pony often got his butt whupped for things that involved Curly, and the kid staying with them certainly wasn't helping Soda's opinion.</p><p>"You don't get to pass," Soda said firmly, "You eat, you help clean up. Them's the rules."</p><p>"You ain't the boss of me," Curly muttered.</p><p>Soda clenched his jaw, trying not to rise to Curly's obvious baiting. "Dishes, now."</p><p>"Do 'em yourself, Ginger Ale"</p><p>"That's not my name." Soda ground out, losing his patience.  </p><p>"Oh my mistake," Curly replied, feigning sincerity, "What was it again? Lemonade? Ovaltine? Orange Juice?"</p><p>"It's Soda! Sodapop to you. Mr. Sodapop! In fact, don't address me at all. And go to my room."</p><p>"With pleasure," Curly said, hopping up and heading toward Pony and Soda's room.</p><p>"You can stay in there till Darry gets home," Soda yelled, out of patience, "I'll be telling him all about how much of a little shit you're being."</p><p>Curly slammed the door and Soda resisted the urge to go in there and whale on the kid's ass. If it were Ponyboy, he probably would've, but Darry told him not to whup Curly, no matter how out of line the kid got. It was probably for the best. He guessed Curly would be throwing punches and as much Soda would love to clock him one, he didn't want a whipping from Darry for fighting with Curly. Darry had been <em>very </em>clear that that wasn't allowed.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Soda started drying the dishes that Ponyboy had just washed. Wasn't fair to make him do it all alone just cause Curly was a dickhead.</p><p>"He's not so bad, y'know," Pony mumbled after the two worked in silence for a few minutes.</p><p>"Yeah right," Soda snorted.</p><p>"He's not," Pony repeated, "When I first got put up a year in grade school, and Johnny hadn't been held back yet, it felt like nobody would talk to me 'cause I was younger. Some kids were picking on me and Curly went up and socked the biggest one in the nose."</p><p>"Why didn't you tell me? Me and Darry would've handled 'em for you," Soda said. He knew his kid brother had struggled to make friends when he first got bumped up, but hadn't heard about this particular incident. </p><p>"You were already in junior high and Darry was in high school. I didn't want thinking of me as the little shrimp you needed to always protect," Pony shrugged, "Plus, after that, Curly let me follow him and his school friends around and I didn't feel like such a little kid anymore. It was tuff."</p><p>"Kid, you could be 30 years old and taller than Darry and we're always gonna think of you as the little shrimp we need to protect," Soda teased, but he had a newfound respect for Curly Shepard. He still thought the kid was a brat, sure, and wouldn't be too upset if Darry whupped him tonight, but he could see for the first time why the kid might be worth helping.</p>
<hr/><p>"Evening, Darrel," Curly said, not looking up from his magazine when Darry came into the room later that evening. He knew it was Darry from the two sharp knocks on the door before it opened.</p><p>"Heard you got yourself into some trouble with Sodapop," Darry said, pulling the desk chair over and straddling it. Curly wanted to gag. What was this, an after-school special? </p><p>"I ain't taking orders from him," Curly said, still pretending to be focused on the magazine.</p><p>"Look at me when I'm talking to you," Darry ordered, tugging the magazine away. "And for the record, when you're sent to your room, that means sit and think about what've you've done. Not read car magazines."</p><p>"You ain't tell me that!" Curly argued.</p><p>"I know, which is why you're not in trouble. Just a warning for next time." Curly rolled his eyes. Why did Darry always think there was gonna be a next time?</p><p>"That's one," Darry said. Curly looked at him curiously so Darry explained. "When the boys give me attitude or make jokes when I'm punishing them, they get two warnings. At three, they get an extra punishment."</p><p>"Sounds like a load of bullshit," Curly muttered.</p><p>"Two," Darry warned.</p><p>Curly wanted to tell Darry where he could shove his extra punishments, but he didn't really want to get to three and find out what they were. "Can't you just whup me and get it over with?"</p><p>"I ain't gonna spank you for this," Darry said. Curly looked at him curiously.</p><p>"Since Soda had to clean up for you, you're gonna do one of his chores in return," Darry said, "And you're gonna be on dish duty alone all week, since you were willing to let Ponyboy do the dishes alone."</p><p>"That ffff-freaking ridiculous ," Curly said, fixing his language at the last second.</p><p>"I'll let it slide this time, but for the record, that's still backtalk," Darry said, "You're gonna do the chores, no complaints. And you're gonna apologize to Sodapop for disrespecting him."</p><p>"He's only two years older than me!" Curly argued, "I don't see why I gotta take orders from him."</p><p>"It's how things work around here," Darry said firmly, "He's in charge of you and Ponyboy when I'm not home. Do I need to give him permission to whup your behind for you to listen to him?"</p><p>"I'd like to see him try," Curly snarled.</p><p>Darry leaned in close. "You will <em>not </em> fight Sodapop or any of my boys, for that matter. Understood?"</p><p>"No promises."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The whole "It's Soda! Sodapop to you. Mr. Sodapop! In fact, don't address me at all" was shamelessly stolen from Gilmore Girls.</p><p>Up next: Tim comes for dinner, Curly gets into a fight, and more!</p><p>Feel free to let me know if there's any other trouble you want Curly to get in and I'll try to fit it in!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Bootcamp Curtis (part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Thanks for your patience in getting this chapter out! Hope y'all enjoy!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By Wednesday, Curly thought he would never get the hang of living at the Curtis house. Darry fussed at him over everything! The night before, Darry had even watched over him as he brushed his teeth like he was goddamn six years old. Darry was a fuckin' hard ass. He gave orders and just expected them to be obeyed. Even Mathews obeyed him, and the guy had to be 18 now. Curly would be damned if Tim was still smacking him around when he was 18.</p><p>The weirdest part, though, wasn't how Darry gave orders. It was how the older boys basically pretended they were Darry when the guy wasn't around. Soda was always bossing Ponyboy around, telling him to set the table or do his homework or whatever else. Two-Bit had insisted on Johnny sleeping over at his house the other night, hitting him on the head with a rolled up newspaper and promising more if he didn't stop protesting. Even Dally had hurled a shoe at Soda and Steve when they were play-fighting in the living room, threatening that if they broke something, he'd break them. To Curly's surprise, all the boys obeyed when they were told to do shit. When he was younger, Curly used to obey Tim's guys, knowing they could beat on him if they wanted to, but ever since he got out of reform school, Curly made a point to do the opposite of whatever the told them to do. It didn't take long before they realized he wasn't some brat kid they could make fetch them beers or swipe shit for them anymore. </p><p>"Hey, Curls, you got a light?" Ponyboy asked, tapping his pack of cigarettes against the palm of his hand, breaking Curly out of his thoughts.</p><p>"Uh uh, do that outside, dummy," Steve ordered. Curly didn't see what the big deal was, but, fuck, the Curtis house had a lot of weird rules.</p><p>"C'mon, it's raining," Pony argued, but started to get up. Curly couldn't understand why Ponyboy gave a shit what Steve Randle had to say. Darry was big on the whole no-fighting thing, and Curly didn't think Steve could deliver a beating without Darry finding out.</p><p>"Why do you give a fuck?" Curly asked, looking at Steve.</p><p>"Because I don't want Darry to come home and kick my ass for not stopping it," Steve replied.</p><p>"Pussy," Curly said, grabbing a book of matches out of his pocket and tossing it to Ponyboy, wanting to see what Steve would do about it. Who the fuck did the guy think he was, anyway? Pony's eyes went back and forth between Steve and Curly as he nervously lit the cigarette.</p><p>Curly watched as Steve's impression darkened and he reached forward and plucked the cigarette out of Ponyboy's mouth, dropping it in the kid's half drank soda. Steve hauled Pony up by the arm and smacked him on the ass. Like he was a damn toddler! Obviously Darry whupped the kid and Curly knew that Soda swatted him every now and again, but now it seemed like everyone in their dysfunctional family could smack him.</p><p>"Stop being a little chickenshit!" Steve said, giving him a shake. Curly couldn't believe Pony was just standing there and taking it. Like Ponyboy, Curly was also the youngest in his outfit, but they'd never swat him like that. Not if they wanted to keep their fuckin' teeth.</p><p>"You gonna let him get away with that?" Curly asked, looking at Ponyboy. </p><p>"Don't you start egging him on," Steve said, rolling his eyes. God, Curly would like to punch Steve in the mouth and he wasn't even the one Steve smacked!</p><p>"Why you let him do that?" Curly asked, scowling at Ponyboy. At least the kid could defend himself a little. He'd already be swinging if he was in Ponyboy's shoes. Tim's guys would pound on Curly a little when they all were younger, 'til Tim thought Curly had had enough and would make them stop, but even as a kid, Curly would fight back. They didn't try that so much anymore since Curly was big enough to beat them right back.</p><p>"'Cause I broke the rule and it's better than him tattling on me to Darry," Pony shrugged, chewing his fingernail.</p><p>"Oh, so you're a snitch, that's it?" Curly said, trying to rile Steve up.</p><p>"I ain't no snitch," Steve barked, "But it's better I stop it now than have Darry come home and lick us both. "</p><p>"Darry ain't your brother," Curly argued, "You don't have to put up with that crap."</p><p>"Yeah, I should just let him slug me like Tim does when his guys disobey him," Steve cracked, "That's way better."</p><p>"Don't say shit about Tim," Curly growled, protecting his brother out of instinct. Tim was a dick, sure, but he was still his big brother. </p><p>"Fair enough," Steve said, "But for the record, I didn't just whack Ponyboy to save my own ass. He's like my kid brother and I don't want him growing up to be a jerk."</p><p>Curly scowled at that. The guys in his (<em>Tim's</em>) gang didn't care if he grew up right. They might tell him to knock it off if he were doing something particular stupid, but Curly figured that was more about avoiding Tim's wrath than anything else. </p><p>"You ain't gonna tell Darry, though, right?" Pony asked. </p><p>"No, but next time you wanna be a brat, I just might whip ya myself," Steve threatened, before turning to Curly, "And if you keep egging him on to be a dick, it ain't Darry you're gonna have to worry about, 'cause I'm gonna bash your brains in."</p>
<hr/><p>Wednesday evening saw the end of Dally's patience with Curly. All the kid did was get in the way and make a pest out of himself.  Dally would've at least like to give the kid a dead arm or something, but Sergeant Curtis was in the next room making dinner. Darry had warned them all that getting physical with Curly would lead to a major beat-down and Dally wasn't itchin' to find out what that meant. He settled for trying to tune him out.</p><p>"All I'm saying is that Sylvia could do a lot better," Curly said, drawing Dally back into the conversation.</p><p>"Shut your fuckin' mouth," Dally said growled, his voice dangerously quiet.</p><p>"What're you gonna do about it?" Curly taunted, shoving him again. </p><p>"I'm really trying not to hit you," Dally said, "But you ain't making it easy."</p><p>"Why?" Curly teased, "Afraid big brother is gonna give you a spanking? I bet your girlfriend would love your red ass."</p><p>"Tough talk for someone who got sent here by his big brother," Dally snarled.</p><p>"At least my brother's gonna pick me up at the end of the week," Curly spat. "That's more than I can say about your old man."</p><p>"What'd you just say?" Dally said, grabbing Curly by the collar of his shirt and dragging him close.</p><p>"I said your old man don't give a damn about you."</p><p>Dally cracked Curly right in the jaw and the brawl was on. Curly and Dally were both throwing punches. It was a pretty even match. Dallas was bigger and stronger but Curly was scrappy and willing to fight dirty. Dally narrowly avoided Curly's knee to his crotch and he was about ready to put Curly's head through the wall when he felt himself a strong arm wrap around his waist and yank him backward.</p><p>"What the hell do y'all think you're doing?" Darry bellowed.</p><p>"Fighting," Curly answered, rubbing the blood from his split lip. Dally couldn't stand the brat, but he had to admit the kid had balls. Darry still had a hold around his waist and Dally was being held back by the arms by Steve and Sodapop.</p><p>"Who started it?" Darry asked. Dally and Curly stared each other down but neither said anything. No way was Dally gonna be a rat. Darry glared at both of them. "Y'all won't like it I have to ask again."</p><p>Neither of them answered and Darry just swore under his breath. "I guess I'm gonna paddle both of y'all then."</p><p>"Why don't you just throw the little runt out?" Dally complained.</p><p>"Because we don't throw people out in this family," Darry replied. </p><p>"You've thrown me out plenty of times," Dally snarled. If it was good enough for him, it was damn well good enough for Curly Shepard.</p><p>"You always knew how to get back in," Darry said simply. Dally didn't like it, but he knew it was true. Every time Darry threw him out, Dally had been well aware that the ticket back was to accept a licking. He didn't storm out anymore when Darry wanted to whip him. He knew Darry was just trying to help him become a good man and all that shit and it was easier just to get it done. </p><p>"You can throw me out," Curly tried and Dally snorted.</p><p>"Fat chance," Darry said, "I don't trust you to actually come back. This is the second time I've had to whup on y'all for fighting and I'm getting pretty damn tired of it. I let you off easy for it last time but I won't make that mistake again." </p><p>Fuck. Dally had forgotten about the scrap he and Curly had gotten into about the driving incident. Dally didn't regret getting into it with the kid, but he had a feeling Darry was gonna regret it. "I don't how you can bring him here and not expect us to fight."</p><p>"Dallas, I've talked to you again and again about getting 'hold of your temper. You should've walked away and let me handle him."</p><p>"Ain't nobody gotta handle me!" Curly argued. </p><p>"Enough, both of y'all," Darry barked and Dally could see he was losing his patience. "Get out to the garage."</p><p>"But--" Curly started to argue. Dally wanted to argue as well but he knew Darry was liable to whip his belt off soon if they didn't cool it.</p><p>"NOW!" Darry barked.</p>
<hr/><p>Curly glared at the ground but followed Dally out to the garage. He hadn't been in here since the time Tim dragged him to the Curtis house to whip him. Darry followed a minute later holding a little toy paddle that looked like it had seen better days. The decorative paint was chipping off, but the quarter-inch wood looked still intact. Between Will Rogers and reform school, Curly considered himself an expert on paddles. </p><p>"Get the sawhorse," Darry ordered. Curly was surprised at that. He'd expected to be grabbing his knees or leaning up against the wall. Dally clearly knew what that meant as he dragged the wooden structure to the middle of the garage. </p><p>"Pants down and bend over," Darry ordered.</p><p>"Together?" Dally snarled, glaring at Curly.</p><p>Darry rolled his eyes. "Don't act like you I didn't have you and Two-Bit over it just last month.</p><p>Dally scowled at him but obeyed, dropping his jeans and bending over the sawhorse. </p><p>"Fuck that," Curly muttered. No way was he bending over next to Winston.</p><p>"Trust me, you don't want me to put you over it," Darry threatened, tapping the paddle against his own leg in warning.</p><p>Curly huffed but pulled his jeans down and bent over the sawhorse, giving Winston a jab to the side with his elbow in the process. </p><p>"Watch it," Darry warned, smacking Curly's bare leg with the paddle.</p><p>"Oww!" Curly complained indignantly.</p><p>"Pussy," Dally muttered under his breath. Darry must've heard because Dally got his own smack for that.</p><p>"Enough, both of y'all," Darry barked, "I'm being nice by using the paddle instead of the belt, but that can change."</p><p>"Yessir," Dally responded, sounding robotic and Curly snorted at him. </p><p>"I guess we'll start with you then," Darry said, putting his hand on Curly's back and bringing the paddle down. Curly let out a hiss before he could stop himself. It seemed like Darry was holding back during the other whuppings. Curly bucked forward with each one as Darry paddled the seat of his underwear. Four hard whacks landed and Curly was already smarting. He heard the fifth whack and flinched instinctively, but it landed on Dally's ass instead. He was annoyed that Dally didn't make sound, but he figured that Dally was expecting it. Darry had said that Dally had been whupped alongside Steve, so he clearly knew the drill. Curly wasn't stupid enough to think that four licks was all he was getting, but he hoped he wouldn't go back and forth too many times.</p><p>"I've had enough with the hot heated, macho bullshit," Darry lectured, starting to paddle Curly again, "Y'all have gotta quit the fighting. Got it?" </p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><p>"Yes, sir?" Darry said, giving them each one hard whack on the ass.</p><p>"Yessir," both boys groaned in unison.</p><p>"Y'all already know how to be respectful," Darry scolded, "Don't make me remind you again."</p><p>"Yessir," Dally said quickly. It wasn't until Dally kicked his foot that Curly wisened up and muttered the same. </p><p>"Better,"  Darry said, resuming the paddling. At first, Dally didn't squirm and holler, so Curly forced himself to do the same. Darry apparently picked up on that as he started paddling faster. This was the first time, with either Darry or Tim, that he hadn't just been held down for a licking and it  was fuckin' awful. The only reason Curly wasn't getting up and telling Darry where he could shove it was that Dally was there with him. He wasn't gonna let Dally think that he couldn't take a beating.</p><p>Eventually, Darry paused the whupping. Curly tried to catch his breath, not sure if they were done or if Darry had something else up his sleeve. He whipped his head around when Darry pulled at the waistband of his underwear.</p><p>"Not bare!" Curly growled, "Not in front of him."</p><p>"Watch it," Darry said, giving a quick smack with his hand. "I'm just checking the damage so we can finish up. Now turn back around " </p><p>Curly huffed but turned back around and glared at the ground. A few seconds later, Darry continued paddling. This time, Darry didn't stop after four whacks and Curly couldn't help but stomp on the ground in pain. Dally could go fuck himself if he teased Curly about it. This damn well hurt.</p><p>Finally, as Curly was biting down on his wrist to keep from hollering, Darry stopped. Fuck, Curly realized he was crying and he hoped Dally didn't see. He tried to get his tears under control as Dally got his turn with the paddle. Dally didn't stomp, but he gripped the bar with white knuckles and squeezed his eyes tight.</p><p>"Alright, we're done," Darry said, sounding stern but much softer than before. Curly sniffed and yanked his pants back up, unwilling to stay bent over longer than he had to. Probably not wanting to be seen as a bawl-baby either, Dally followed right behind.</p><p>"Shake hands and apologize to each other," Darry ordered. </p><p>"Sorry kid," Dally said immediately, extending his hand, "I shouldn't have hit you."</p><p>"Sorry," Curly said, shaking Dally's hand, surprised that he actually meant it. </p><p>"Good boys," Darry said, laughing when both boys glared at him. Darry wrapped an arm around both of them. Curly went stiff at the touch but noticed that Dally was hugging Darry back, leaning his head on Darry's. The younger boy wanted to mock Dally, but he had to admit, Darry holding him after a whupping was kinda nice. Not that he'd ever say it out loud. </p>
<hr/><p>"The fuck are you doing here?" Curly spat as Tim walked in the front door of the Curtis house on Thursday evening. He was sitting in the living room with Ponyboy and Johnny.</p><p>"Try that again," Darry said calmly, coming in from the kitchen. Tim was immediately impressed with how Darry kept his cool. </p><p>"The fuck are you doing here, sir?" Curly replied. Darry smacked Curly's ass and  Tim waited to see how Curly would react.</p><p>"Corner," Darry said, snapping and pointing. Curly huffed but trudged into the corner. Damn, Curly never listened to Tim like that.</p><p>"Thanks for having me, man," Tim said.</p><p>"'Course," Darry replied. "Dinner will be ready in five. Ponyboy and Johnny, set the table please."</p><p>Pony sighed but got up and did what he was told. Johnny followed without complaint. Darry ruffled their hair as they passed by.</p><p>"So, how's the kid been?" Tim asked, following Darry into the kitchen as he finished dinner.</p><p>"It's been a bumpy transition but we're starting to understand each other," Darry said. Tim figured that was the understatement of the century.</p><p>"You wear out your belt yet?" Tim questioned. </p><p>"Nah, no belt. I've had to whup him three times though," Darry replied, "First time with my hand and second time with my hand and sneaker. Third time I had to whup both him and Dally with the paddle.  I'd guess he's a little sore but no bruises. "</p><p>Tim nodded. Leave it to Darry to have a paddle around to beat his kid brothers with. He'd never admit it, but he was glad that Darry hadn't whipped the kid black and blue. He didn't really think Darry would, but it was nice to hear it. </p><p>"Boys, finish up and come in for dinner," Darry called through the open window to his guys who were smoking outside. Tim didn't know Darry afforded to feed all them. Darry turned back to the living room. "Curly, come in here."</p><p>"You called?" Curly asked.</p><p>"Apologize to me and Tim, please."</p><p>"Yeah, right," Curly said, rolling his eyes.</p><p>"Don't think I won't spank you in front of your brother," Darry threatened.</p><p>"Fine, sorry," Curly muttered. Tim forced himself not to look shocked. Curly never apologized to him without a serious ass-beating first. </p><p>"Go sit down," Darry said and Curly obeyed. Tim couldn't believe what he was seeing.</p><p>"What's for dinner?" Steve asked, lifting the lid on one of the pots and almost sticking his hand in before Darry grabbed his wrist.</p><p>"Nothing for you if you don't keep your hands out of there," Darry threatened, pulling the meatloaf out of the oven and putting the pan on the table. Soon, the food was on the table and all nine of them were around the table. Dinner was loud but pleasant with everyone laughing and joking. No one was fighting or throwing things like at the Shepard house. Tim was impressed with the way Darry kept the circus from getting out of hand.</p><p>"Ponyboy, I wanna see you eat all those vegetables, " Darry ordered at one point.</p><p>"You gave me too much," Pony complained.</p><p>"Vegetables or no dessert."</p><p>"Fine," Pony grumbled. </p><p>"And Johnny, help yourself to seconds before Two-Bit eats it all," Darry said.</p><p>"Hey, I'm a growing boy," Two-Bit laughed, but scooped a big helping of mashed potatoes onto Johnny's plate before serving himself the same. </p><p>"Hey Dar, check this out," Soda called before shooting a rubber band dead center at Steve's forehead.</p><p>"Oww," Steve complained, grabbing it to shoot it back.</p><p>"Sodapop Patrick," Darry scolded, "You could've taken his eye out."</p><p>"It's no big deal, we was all doing it and nobody got hurt," Dally said, rolling his eyes.</p><p>"All of y'all, hand 'em over," Darry said, sticking his hand out. Tim watched as Soda, Steve, Two-Bit, and even Dally handed over their rubber bands.</p><p>"Y'all can have 'em back after dinner but no shooting them at faces. Savvy?"</p><p>All four of them nodded, but Tim was the most surprised by Dally. He wasn't the same wild hood that he pretended to be. The rest of the dinner went by uneventfully, at least until it was time for cleanup.</p><p>"Curly, you're on dish duty," Darry said.</p><p>"I'll help out," Tim offered, looking at Darry in surprise. He hadn't sent the kid over to be the maid. He'd expected that Darry would make him help out with chores, but cleaning up after nine people by seemed like a lot.</p><p>"He's being punished for refusing to help Pony with the dishes on Tuesday," Darry said, "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt for y'all to catch up."</p>
<hr/><p>Curly didn't want to do the dishes, but he did wanna spend some time with Tim, not that he'd ever admit it. Darry herded his boys outside, leaving the two brothers alone in the house.</p><p>"How they treating you here?" Tim asked after they'd cleaned in silence for a few minutes.</p><p>Curly snorted. Tim had asked him the same the first time he came to visit him in the reformatory. "Fine. Darry hasn't broken his ankle kicking my ass yet."</p><p>"Smart ass," Tim grinned, "You keeping your nose clean?"</p><p>"Hardly," Curly said. In truth, he probably was behaving by Tim's standards. He hadn't got drunk or done anything illegal, and had only gotten into a fight since he'd gotten there. That was good behavior at the Shepard house. "You miss me yet?"</p><p>"Hardly," Tim shot back, but Curly knew from his grin that he wasn't serious. "I got the room all to myself. It's nice."</p><p>"You ain't no picnic to live with either," Curly griped, "At least Ponyboy don't snore so loud."</p><p>"Would've figured you'd be riding the couch," Tim said.</p><p>"I figure Darry don't trust me that close to the door. Don't think he realizes I got a perfectly good window to sneak out of."</p><p>"Don't you fuckin' dare," Tim said.</p><p>"Relax," Curly said, holding his soapy hands up, "Two-Bit told me that Darry has a strap and I'm not trying to feel it." </p><p>"I might have to borrow it if it keeps you in line," Tim grinned, the bastard.</p><p>"Oh fuck off," Curly said, before darting a glance toward the door, half-expecting Darry to come barging in and shove a bar of soap in his mouth. </p><p>Tim chuckled. "What's Darry's punishment for cussing?"</p><p>"Like I'm telling you," Curly growled. He wasn't giving Tim any ideas.</p><p>"Don't worry, kid, big brothers talk," Tim grinned, drying a dish that Curly handed him. </p><p>"Great," Curly muttered.  </p><p>"Speaking of which, I gotta chat with Darry for a minute and head home before Angela and Ma kill each other ," Tim said, putting away the last dishes. "Angie misses you."  </p><p>Curly scowled to hide a smile. Tim would never out and out say something so sappy, but Curly knew this was Tim's way of saying he missed him. Tim clapped him on the shoulder and grinned. "Be good."</p><p>Tim turned to leave and before he could stop himself, Curly called after him. "Hey Tim?"</p><p>"Yeah?</p><p>"I miss Angie too."</p>
<hr/><p>Tim walked out to the porch to where Darry was sitting, chatting with Dally and Johnny.</p><p>"Why don't ya'll go keep on eye on the boys," Darry said to the teens, nodding his head toward the other boys who were back to shooting each other with rubber bands in the yard. The boys clearly knew they were been kicked off the porch, so they went with little fuss.</p><p>"I owe you big time for this man," Tim said, "A few days with you and the little shit is already toeing the line. You doing magic or something?"</p><p>"No magic," Darry laughed, "Just consistency."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Tim asked.</p><p>"When I tell my boys a rule, they know I'll enforce it," Darry explained, "It takes a while and some of them are slower learners than others, but they get it eventually."</p><p>"I get that, I just don't want to whip the kid for every little thing," Tim confessed. </p><p>"You don't need to go straight to the belt. A quick smack to the behind and a couple minutes in the corner does wonders. Teenage boys ain't that different from toddlers," Darry said.</p><p>"You tamed Winston without going for your belt?" Tim asked incredulously.</p><p>"I didn't say that," Darry grinned, "But I don't use the belt on him, or any of them, unless they really deserve it. I'd rather not whup them at all, but I gotta do something to keep them in line. I always try to hug 'em and make sure they know they're forgiven afterward."</p><p>Tim nodded. He kept his guys in line too, but usually with a couple swift punches to the gut.  He certainly never hugged them afterward.They were a gang, not a family like Darry's boys. "You ever wanna give up and run for the hills?"</p><p>"Practically every week," Darry admitted, "But then Ponyboy leans against me when we're watching TV, or Soda asks me for advice about girls, or Dally lets me put a blanket over him when he crashes on the couch and I remember that they're all good boys just in need of some love and structure."</p><p>"You sound like that damn social worker that came to our house last time Curly got out of the reform school," Tim griped, covering up the lump in his throat.</p><p>"Maybe I missed my calling," Darry said with a small smile, "You don't have to have everything figured out. You're only a kid."</p><p>"So are you," Tim shot back, going a little defensive. He'd probably been raising Curly and Angela longer than Darry had his brothers. He remembered being six years old and cooking hotdogs on the stove to feed his kid brother and sister. Curly had reached for the stove and Tim had smacked the back of two-year-old's hand. The kid had wailed and Tim felt like a jerk, but it was the only way he knew how to teach the kid. His folks sure weren't doing shit.</p><p>"I know, but I had my parents' example to follow." Darry said, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I get the feeling you didn't have much of that growing up." </p><p>"You don't think I know that," Tim snorted. He hardly remembered his father and his mother wasn't setting any good examples for parenting. They'd had a few step-daddies that tried to 'discipline' them, but that mostly meant hollering at Angela, and throwing shit at Curly, and roughing Tim up a little. Tim never let his any of his mom's boyfriends really get physical with either of his kid siblings. "So tell me, what's the secret of raisin' kids that your folks taught you?"</p><p>"Shoot, if I had it, I'd tell you," Darry said, "I'm still making lots of mistakes. I just try to keep them fed, sleeping indoors, and out of the cooler." </p><p>"And keep them from running around like a bunch of hoods?"</p><p>"That's the hard part," Darry admitted, "That and not hollering my head off when they mess up."</p><p>Tim was surprised at that. Darry always seemed so in control. "How do you do that?"</p><p>"Count to ten. Clench and unclench my fists. Take walks. Stick 'em in the corner till I can calm down."</p><p>"I don't think Curly would ever listen to me if I wasn't hollering and threatening to beat him," Tim confessed. </p><p>"Sure he would," Darry snorted, "That kid wants nothing more than to be like you."</p><p>"Yeah right," Tim rolled his eyes, "He thinks I'm a jackass."</p><p>"He wants your respect," Darry explained, "And he thinks he can get that by fighting and cutting school and getting himself jailed."</p><p>"All the stuff I was doing at his age," Tim sighed. He knew he'd set a piss-poor example for Curly, but it didn't make him feel good to have him spell that out. </p><p>"We all did stupid shit when we were 15," Darry said. Tim knew he was trying to be nice, but Mr. Boy-of-the-Year never jumped small kids or carried a heater or got thrown in the reformatory. Tim was trying to straighten up his act, but Darry had always been on the straight and narrow. Tim knew Curly wasn't gonna be boy-of-the-year or nothing, but he at least hoped the kid turned out a little more like Darry than like him. </p>
<hr/><p>"Really?" Darry sighed as he came inside to Curly helping himself to one of Darry's beers. Darry had figured that Tim coming for dinner would throw Curly into a funk. Honestly, he was surprised when Curly had more or less behaved while Tim was there. No, instead Curly left his latest act of rebellion for when Tim left.</p><p>"Hey, I was drinking that," Curly said as Darry grabbed the beer out of his hand and poured it down the sink. </p><p>"That's funny, I seem to remember 'no drinking' being one of the rules we talked about."</p><p>"It was one beer!" Curly huffed. </p><p>"Save it," Darry said, holding a hand up. "You're spending the rest of the evening writing lines. Then, tomorrow after school you're gonna write me an essay on the dangers of underage drinking."</p><p>"What?! Fuck that!"</p><p>"Language," Darry warned, "It's that or get your butt blistered again."</p><p>"Fine, yeah, I'll take the whipping," Curly said. Darry hadn't expected that. He figured that Curly's ass was still tender from the paddling the day before and would want to avoid a whupping at all costs. Well, Darry was a man of his word. He'd offered Curly a spanking as an option and he had to follow through.</p><p>He went over to the kitchen junk drawer and rooted around to he found what he was looking for. Having spanked Curly three times already this week, Darry wasn't willing to risk brusing the kid by using his belt or the paddle. The flyswatter had worked well on Soda and Steve and he was sure he could teach Curly a good lesson with it.</p><p>"C'mon, let's go to my room," Darry said, taking Curly by the shoulder. </p><p>"Can't I bend over the bed or something?" Curly whined as Darry took a seat. </p><p>"No," Darry said simply, forcing himself not to grin. At the beginning of the week, Curly would've been shouting and cussing right now. Darry didn't love the whining but he considered it an improvement from the screaming tantrums. With practiced ease, he snagged Curly by the belt loop and tugged him close. Darry pulled the kid's pants down and upended him over his knee.</p><p>"This'll sting like a bitch but shouldn't bruise ya," Darry said as he pulled the kid's underwear to his knees. Curly's butt had some lingering redness from the day before so Darry figured it wouldn't be hard to get it lit up again.</p><p>"Oww," Curly screeched when Darry brought the rubber fly-swatter down smartly on the left side of the kid's butt. Darry felt for the kid, but he had asked for it. Drinking one beer wasn't that serious, but he knew the kid was testing him. This had been a rule that Darry had clearly laid out for him and Curly intentionally broke it. </p><p>Clearly Curly really didn't like the fly-swatter as he quickly began squirming over Darry's knee. After a few minutes and squirming and hissing, Curly threw his hand back. Familiar with that move, Darry tilted him forward and started bringing the fly-swatter down on the kids thighs. As Curly stopped squirming so much, Darry realized that it might be a kindness to target his legs instead of his sore butt, so he decided to aim the rest of the punishment there. Darry made his way down Curly's left thigh, almost to the back of his knee, before moving to his right.</p><p>"I'm sorry!" Curly gasped as Darry was halfway through his second trip down the kid's left thigh. </p><p>"What are you sorry for?" Darry said, not stopping his smacks.</p><p>"For drinking!" Curly sniffled.</p><p>"I know Tim lets you drink, but you're still here for one more day, which means you follow my rules," Darry lectured.</p><p>"Sorry!" Curly said again. Darry continued spanking, but lightened up a little bit, wanting to reward Curly's contrition. Usually Curly would be screaming and cussing, but now he was just apologizing. Darry knew the kid was more sorry he was getting whupped than actually sorry, but still, he'd take it. </p><p>"You need to stop breaking rules for the hell of it," Darry scolded, "It doesn't make you cool. It doesn't make you tuff. It's not gonna get you anyone's respect. Not mine, not Tim's. Understand?"</p><p>"Yessss," Curly gasped.</p><p>"Yes what? Darry sighed, frustrated at going over the same thing again and again. </p><p>"Yessir," Curly cried and Darry considered it lessoned learned. </p><p>"Alright, you're okay," Darry comforted. He hated how often he had to do this, hated to make any of the boys cry. Once Curly caught his breath, Darry helped him to sit on his lap, relieved when Curly curled up in his lap. He'd hoped that seeing Dally, the hardest of his boys, accept a hug the day before would help Curly do the same. </p><p>"That hurt," Curly whined. </p><p>"Good," Darry said, but he squeezed Curly tight. The kid definitely wasn't as tough and unfeeling as he tried to be. Just like all his boys, Curly just needed some love. Darry knew Tim was trying his best, but Darry knew from experience that raising kid brothers was hard. Darry wished that his folks were alive and that Tim's folks gave a damn, but sometimes that just way things had worked out.</p>
<hr/><p>"Glory, he got you good," Soda said, walking into the room as Curly was pulling on a pair of Ponyboy's pajama pants. </p><p>"Get the fuck out!" Curly said, picking up a book and winging it at the older boy. He didn't know why he was so damn stupid and took the whipping over writing lines and an essay. He figured it'd be over quicker, and he guessed it was, but at the expense of getting his legs whipped with a damn fly-swatter.</p><p>"Hey, easy, I brought you something," Soda laughed, tossing a tub of something to Curly.</p><p>"Cold cream?" Curly asked skeptically. </p><p>"For your ass...and legs apparently," Soda grinned, "Just don't tell Darry."</p><p>"This some sort of trick?" Curly questioned, unsure why Soda would want to help him. He'd been a dick to Soda on Tuesday, but Soda's resentment of him seemed to start before that. He was always the bad influence that was trying to corrupt Darry and Soda's little brother. </p><p>"Nah, man, I wouldn't do that," Soda replied. "I just have had the pleasure of getting beat with that damn fly-swatter--me and Steve both, actually-- and it's not fun."</p><p>"So you like me now all of a sudden?" Curly asked. </p><p>"Eh, you're not so bad when you're not trying to get under my skin."</p><p>Curly snorted. "Well, you're not so bad when you're not trying to tell me what to do."</p><p>"Brat," Soda said, but he sounded almost fond, "We're gonna tie Darry down and make him play cards with us if you wanna join."</p><p>"Sure, he owes me," Curly chuckled, letting himself rub his leg.</p><p>"Damn right he does," Soda grinned.</p>
<hr/><p>Tim would've been lying if he said the first few days without Curly weren't a relief. Unlike when the brat was in reform school, Tim was confident that Curly was safe at the Curtis house. Angela had had a falling out with her guy, so she had been home a lot this week, and for once Tim felt like he could breathe. Both his kid siblings were accounted for, at least for now.</p><p>But then, Wednesday came and Tim started to actually miss the little fucker. He'd called Darry up to see if he could stop in and check on the kid. Darry, being the good guy that he was, invited Tim over for dinner on Thursday.  Curly was still a wise ass, but he seemed a little more tamed. Tim was sure Darry could deliver a mighty good beating, but he suspected it was more than that. Darry had a way about him that made people respect him. Tim demanded respect by beating on anyone who didn't give it to him, but Darry didn't need to do that. It had infuriated Tim when they were younger, but now he was more curious than anything.</p><p>Tim had wanted to take Curly home with him that night, but he knew he had to leave Curly at the Curtis house. Hell, he'd leave the kid there for good if that was what it took to straighten him out. Thankfully, Friday afternoon came soon enough and Tim sped over to the Curtis house, slowing down at the end as to not seem too eager. He was disappointed when he showed up and Curly wasn't sitting on the front step, eagerly waiting for him. Instead, it was Darry that came out to greet him. "Hey, Tim. C'mon in."</p><p>Tim nodded and followed Darry inside, hoping the kid wasn't causing trouble while Darry's back was turned. To his surprise, Curly was sitting on the floor with Steve, Soda, and Ponyboy playing some board game Tim had never seen before.</p><p>"We gotta get this game, man," Curly said, looking up at Tim.</p><p>"I haven't seen you play a board game since you was eight years old," Tim laughed.</p><p>"We taught him last night!" Pony said, "He's a natural!"</p><p>Tim grinned. It was nice to hear Curly be referred to as 'a natural' at something other than breaking and entering.</p><p>"You want a beer, Tim?" Darry asked, gesturing for him to follow him into the kitchen</p><p>"Sure, thanks," Tim said.</p><p>"I caught your brother stealing my beers last night," Darry admitted.</p><p>"Little fucker," Tim growled, ready to go express his displeasure to Curly's backside</p><p>"Don't worry, I whipped him," Darry reassured, "Actually, I was gonna make him write lines but he asked for the spanking instead."</p><p>"Stupid kid," Tim said, but this time it was more affectionate than anything. </p><p>"Yeah, I'm still not sure what he was thinking with that one," Darry laughed, "He definitely settled down as the week went on."</p><p>"Shoot, I should send the kid over to you every time he misbehaves then."</p><p>"I ain't gonna be the boogey man," Darry said quickly, and Tim looked guilty.</p><p>"I'm sorry, man," Tim said, instantly feeling guilty, "I know that's asking too much."</p><p>"It's not that," Darry said, waving his hand dismissively, "It's just that he ain't gonna listen to you if I'm the bad guy. Two-Bit's mom does that and he runs circles around her." </p><p>"Fair enough," Tim said, still a little sheepish, "I really am trying with him. And Angie too."</p><p>"Well, I can't help you there," Darry laughed, "Teenage boys are one thing but teenage girls scare me."</p><p>"Me too," Tim laughed, "Thanks for taking him in this week. I want him to be more like your boys and less like mine."</p><p>"He's a good kid," Darry said, clapping Tim on the shoulder, "And so are you."</p><p>Tim smiled at that. It had been a long time since anyone called him a good kid. He was so damn tired of acting like an adult sometimes. His mom expected him to take care of himself and his siblings. Curly and Angela expected him to solve all their problems. His gang expected him to lead. It was all too much sometimes. For once, it was nice to know that somebody had his back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you to everyone who gave me suggestions for this chapter. I tried to fit as many in as possible!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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